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Post by Dr. Drum on Feb 7, 2005 10:24:47 GMT -5
Unless I miss my guess, same-sex is going to cruise through Parliament – probably something close to 200 votes in favour – so I think these American right-wingers are in for a bit of a rude awakening, at least in the short term.
Even long term, the only hope of anyone opposed to same-sex marriage in this country would be the election of a Conservative government prepared to use the notwithstanding clause. I’m not so sure that’s likely either – there are already prominent defections of Conservative MPs on the vote in the House. Plus, the Tories are preparing for a divisive floor fight at next month’s policy convention over abortion rights and same-sex policy.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Feb 10, 2005 17:12:06 GMT -5
Why Ottawa likely won't join Bush's missile plan
John Ibbitson
The Globe and Mail
February 10, 2005
Ottawa ONT - The time has come to face the truth: Missile defence is dead.
Barring an unforeseen reversal, the Liberal government will almost certainly not endorse the U.S. ballistic-missile defence program.
It is simply not possible to bring a motion before the House of Commons affirming Canadian participation in BMD. Opposition within the Liberal caucus is so strong that such a motion could not pass without the solid support of the Conservatives. And Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is unwilling, and possibly unable, to guarantee that support.
At the Liberal policy conference in the first week of March, delegates will vote on a motion opposing Canadian participation in the missile shield. Those watching the convention have concluded that the motion is likely to pass.
Any attempt by Prime Minister Paul Martin to sign on to the program despite the wishes of his own party could produce a massive rupture within the Liberal Party and caucus. Instead, citing the will of the grassroots, the Prime Minister is likely to accept that Canada can offer no further support for the initiative.
Only heavy and direct lobbying from President George W. Bush when the two leaders meet at a NATO summit later this month could force the Liberals to reconsider their options. But Washington has already concluded that odds no longer favour Canadian participation. There have been no substantive talks between the two countries on this subject in the past two months. The Americans are prepared for the eventuality of Canadian officers not participating in the system's command structure, which means it will have to be removed from NORAD and given to a separate agency.
A final declaration by Mr. Martin that missile defence is dead in Canada would certainly place a strain on Canada-U.S. relations in the realm of continental security. The Canadians, at least, hope that trade issues would be unaffected, but American expectations of a new era of relations between the two countries with the arrival of Mr. Martin as Prime Minister could be permanently soured.
As many as 30 Liberal MPs -- mostly from Quebec and from within the women's caucus -- are ready to vote against any pro-missile-defence motion brought before the House. Even though the Americans are asking for mostly symbolic support -- there would be no significant Canadian financial contribution, and neither missiles nor radar installations would be on Canadian soil -- the concept of an anti-ballistic-missile defence system is, for these MPs, so objectionable in principle that they do not believe Canada should lend it legitimacy.
With the Bloc Québécois and NDP caucuses also solidly opposed, the Liberals could count on only about 100 votes, which means the fate of the motion would rest with the 99 members of the Conservative caucus.
But Mr. Harper has refused to offer his support for the Liberal motion until he sees its exact wording. As well, although opinions differ, several Tory MPs from Ontario and Atlantic Canada, representing the party's Progressive Conservative wing, may well have trouble supporting the motion.
Mr. Harper knows that voting against missile defence -- even though he has repeatedly supported it in principle -- would lead to a humiliating Liberal defeat. Endorsing the motion, on the other hand, would not only rescue Mr. Martin, his political archenemy, from a predicament, but could exacerbate the Red Tory/Reform split inside his own party.
A motion opposing Canadian participation in missile defence will be on the floor of the Liberal policy convention, which is being held March 3-6 in Ottawa. Headcounters have concluded that the motion, which has been brought forward by the party's youth wing, is favoured to pass.
At that point, Mr. Martin will have few options but to inform the Americans that Canada will not be participating in the new system's command structure.
The only hope for BMD supporters is that the party leadership will persuade the convention to amend the motion, saying the party opposes missile defence but will respect the Prime Minister's final decision. But even with such a lukewarm endorsement, Mr. Martin would still face the challenge of getting House support.
For these reasons, those within the Liberal Party who support joining missile defence, and those who oppose it, believe Canada will not sign on.
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Post by Philemon on Feb 18, 2005 9:01:58 GMT -5
After Junior's reelection ...
Top 11 reasons not to flee to Canada.
11. Wouldn't want to be subject to U.S. foreign policy.
10. We've invaded enough countries.
9. Red-staters would suffer terrible privation without federal funds derived from blue-state taxes.
8. Loverboy.
7. Schwarzenegger has already drawn up plans for its annexation in 2009.
6. A Canadian gallon of gas is almost $3.00
5. 50% Canadian Content from 6PM to midnight.
4. You actually believe that the U.S. meat packing industry
is protecting you from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
3. It didn't work for the Nez Percés.
2. A summer day is about 25 degrees.
1. No one believed you would actually go through with it, drama queen.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Feb 23, 2005 7:35:37 GMT -5
So wasn't that announcement this morning that Paul Martin's going to say 'no' to missile defense anticlimatic? Guess rather than screwing up, Frank McKenna was just trying to gloss it over with the Americans yesterday.
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Post by Philemon on Feb 23, 2005 9:00:47 GMT -5
Canada needs to participate in the Starwar program
as much as we need four leaking british submarines !!
BTW, two weeks ago, the US military failed
another attempt at shooting down a single incoming missile ...
So far, their only *successes* are when they shot
the proverbial cow tied to the proverbial barn doors
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Post by Philemon on Feb 23, 2005 9:02:54 GMT -5
In other canadian news, the cost of the Gomery inquiry
is fast approching 80 million dollars ...
Since it is in CDN currency, that is not a problem ...
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Post by Dr. Drum on Feb 23, 2005 9:12:28 GMT -5
Curious times. The sponsorship scandal is sort of deep-sixed in Gomery, the government is passing on missile defense while at the same time having the ambassador say "we’re already in", same-sex is a loser for the Conservatives – and the Liberals poll numbers are up. You have to wonder whether they might actually be hoping to lose the vote on the budget when it comes up.
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Post by Philemon on Feb 28, 2005 8:39:48 GMT -5
GOOD RIDDANCE ...
Zundel won't fight deportation order
Holocaust denier to be flown to Germany on Tuesday, letter from border agency says
By KIRK MAKIN
JUSTICE REPORTER
Saturday, February 26, 2005 - Page A7
Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel has conceded defeat in his two-year legal battle to avoid being deported to Germany.
Mr. Zundel, 65, will likely be flown out of Canada Tuesday, according to a letter he received yesterday from the Canada Border Services Agency.
Moving with lightning speed, the federal agency sent the letter hours after Federal Court of Canada Judge Pierre Blais had paved the way for Mr. Zundel to be deported as a danger to Canadian security.
"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your removal to Germany is imminent. . . . Please note that you are entitled to a total of two suitcases with a maximum weight of 32 kilograms each," the letter said.
Mr. Zundel is wanted on an outstanding warrant in Germany, accused of denying the Holocaust. He was convicted in absentia and fined for a similar offence several years ago, and he is likely to get a substantial jail term if found guilty of a second offence.
Defence counsel Peter Lindsay said last night that Mr. Zundel concluded there was no point in taking last-ditch legal action to prevent his deportation.
"We have been through the Superior Court of Ontario, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal," Mr. Lindsay said. "The only ones we haven't tried are traffic court and small-claims court.
"I think he is very disillusioned in the Canadian justice system, and so am I. His feeling is that we have gone through the entire process and he is not going to bang his head against a wall any longer. If the question is whether he is willing to beg and plead and scrape about not wanting to be the victim of a secret trial, the answer is no. And I don't think he should have to."
Mr. Lindsay noted that the news media regularly carry stories about criminals who commit more crimes during long delays in the execution of their deportation orders.
"When it comes to Ernst Zundel, everything is always different," Mr. Lindsay said. "He understands that his views are not popular, but he has always discouraged violence."
Mr. Zundel arrived in Canada in 1958, but never acquired full citizenship. A graphic designer and artist, he eventually began devoting all his time to feeding his worldwide distribution network of anti-Semitic and Holocaust-denial material.
In 2000, he remarried and moved to rural Tennessee. However, U.S. authorities arrested him on a routine immigration-requirement violation and he was sent back to Canada on May 1, 2003.
Ever since, he has lived in solitary confinement at the Toronto West Detention Centre, determined to fight the federal government every step of the way to prevent his deportation on a rarely used security certificate.
"The powerful and the popular do not need to rely on the fairness of our legal system," Mr. Lindsay and co-counsel Chi-Kun Shi said in a written statement last night. "The marginalized and the reviled do. Our system has failed Mr. Zundel. We should care. But we fear most of us don't give a damn."
In his ruling on Thursday, Judge Blais labelled Mr. Zundel a racist hypocrite who has nurtured a pacifist image to conceal his support of right-wing extremism and his global propagation of anti-Semitic material.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Apr 22, 2005 6:20:43 GMT -5
Anyone catch the PM's address to the nation last night?
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Post by Dr. Drum on Apr 27, 2005 7:14:47 GMT -5
OK, so this isn’t fucking mongooses and ladders or whatever it is  but I thought this was quite brilliant on Layton’s part, both in terms of substance and down in the trenches political maneuvering. PM shells out $4.6B for NDP's supportLast Updated Wed, 27 Apr 2005 06:44:26 EDT CBC News TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin has reached an agreement-in-principle with the New Democrats to earn support for his minority government's budget – a deal that includes a $4.6-billion boost in social program spending over two years. "This agreement is fiscally responsible. It is progressive. We agreed to it because we want Parliament to work," Martin told reporters Tuesday. Martin said the deal – which could enable his government to survive – will be paid for through projected budget surpluses of $9 billion. The prime minister vowed that the budget would be balanced, adding that he is still committed to paying down at least $4 billion a year from the national debt. Under the proposed deal, the Liberals would boost social spending in Canada and foreign aid by $4.6 billion over two years. Promised tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses will remain but cuts for large corporations will be deferred. Budget's 'better',' though not perfect: LaytonNDP Leader Jack Layton had asked Martin to respond by Tuesday on whether the prime minister would scrap corporate tax cuts, introduced in the February budget, as the price for NDP support. "This budget isn't perfect. But it's better. And it's balanced, and it includes tax reductions for small business," Layton told reporters Tuesday evening at an earlier news conference. "But it also invests in people and our environment." $1.6 billion for affordable housingThe deal appears to meet many of Layton's demands. The NDP had wanted Martin to reduce tuition fees, build more affordable housing, increase foreign aid and spend more to fight pollution. The proposed deal includes: · $1.6 billion for affordable housing construction, including aboriginal housing. · $1.5-billion increase in transfers to provinces for tuition reduction and better training through EI. · $900 million for environment with one more cent of the federal gas tax going to public transit. · $500 million for foreign aid to bring Canada in line with promise of 0.7 per cent of GDP. · $100 million for pension protection fund for workers. Layton said details were still being discussed by the Liberal and NDP House leaders. Harper attacks deal as 'price to make corruption go away'Conservative Leader Stephen Harper suggested the purpose of the money was to divert attention from the sponsorship scandal. "My first response is that Mr. Martin and Mr. Layton think $4.6 billion of taxpayers' money is the price to make corruption go away, but I wonder if the taxpayers of Canada are going to think the same thing," Harper said in a statement. If the Liberals hadn't received NDP support to push through the budget, an election call within the next month was almost a certainty. A looming parliamentary vote on the budget has the potential to bring down Martin's administration, since it will be considered a vote of confidence in the government. A Liberal/NDP alliance would give them a combined total of 151 members of Parliament. A possible alignment of 99 Conservative MPs and 54 Bloc Québécois MPs would add up to a total of 153 votes. In that scenario, three MPs sitting as Independents could decide the fate of Martin's government in the 308-seat Parliament. Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved |
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Post by riley on Apr 27, 2005 7:26:24 GMT -5
Not bad at all. I really don't feel like going back to the polls just yet, for what would probably equate to a similar or worst outcome, scandal or no scandal.
Harper's such an arsehole. Like it's so inconceivable that the same silliness in Quebec could have taken place under or PC or Reform government.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Apr 27, 2005 8:46:08 GMT -5
Not bad at all. I really don't feel like going back to the polls just yet, for what would probably equate to a similar or worst outcome, scandal or no scandal. Yeah, I hear ya. J. is going away for a new dog on Saturday. She’ll be back towards the end of May, so working another election was certainly not in our plans for this spring! And not that this deal will stop one either. Harper has the numbers in Parliament to bring it all down on a confidence motion if he can get one of the independents to vote with him. I think Carolyn Parrish will vote with the Liberals if it comes to it, and Chuck Cadman is sending signals both ways, so he may, too. But I wouldn’t be so sure about David Kilgour... This does make it trickier politically for Harper, though. He’ll look like more of an opportunist, throwing in with the separatists... He’s got some of the right-wing columnists going apoplectic over cancelled corporate tax cuts – ya gotta love it! – but he’s not going to get very far on that line with the public. |
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Post by riley on Apr 27, 2005 9:28:44 GMT -5
I think no matter how far the arms of corporate extend economically and politically, it's really a relatively small voice that will object to the shift in the types of business and their portion of tax obligation.
Corporate tends to get more pissed off when their not allowed to do new things than when gov't switches gears a bit on how they already do things.
Don't you love how I'm speaking about corporate in the third person almost, since I'm so far removed from large Canadian companies ;D
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Post by Dr. Drum on Apr 27, 2005 12:17:49 GMT -5
Not to mention that corporate whoring is supposed to be part of your mongoosian code, isn't? I did see that somewhere, didn't I?  Harper’s already trying to turn this around to his advantage; saying he won’t support an "NDP budget". So it looks like the election nobody wants is probably that much closer . |
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Post by Dr. Drum on Apr 29, 2005 7:47:33 GMT -5
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but I thought this was quite brilliant on Layton’s part, both in terms of substance and down in the trenches political maneuvering. 
