February 28, 2008

Chuck Cadman

Today, I am in no way surprised by the news that has emerged regarding allegations that the Conservative Party of Canada tried to bribe MP Chuck Cadman to support them in a confidence vote in 2005 against Paul Martin's Liberal Government. It's the exact type of sneaky, illicit actions I have come to expect from them.

According to an upcoming book, Conservative officials tried a series of bribes in order to secure Cadman's vote in order to defeat the government. Apparently, he was offered a $1 million life insurance policy among other offers. Several articles in newspapers across Canada cite Chuck Cadman's widow, Dona, as the source of these allegations.

The Conservatives have shown themselves to be a devious and sneaky lot, and this just goes to show to what lengths they will go to win, even if they had to break the law to do it.

February 26, 2008

Budget Disappointments

Today, finance minister Jim Flaherty released his newest budget, and it isn't good news for Canadians.

What about Canada's homeless? NOTHING
What about working parents who need affordable and quality child care? NOTHING
What about affordable housing? NOTHING

In my opinion one of the most despicable absences from this budget is the absence of any significant spending for aboriginal Canadians. The previous Liberal government had recognized the importance of acting to improve conditions for Canadian natives, but Stephen Harper quickly killed the $5 billion deal when he became prime Minister. Now they are only prepared to spend $135 million in new funds, which is too small to do anything of consequence. When will this government realize that they also have to take of all Canadians, not just the wealthy and upper-middle class?

Jim Flaherty and Stephen Harper are wrong for Canada and Canadians - we need balanced leadership that will provide for all Canadians, which is exactly what Stephane Dion will do once he is Canada's Prime Minister.

February 7, 2008

More evidence the government feels they are above the rules!

It has come out in the news recently that Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty broke the rules regarding who he hired to help writing last year's budget speech. According to a ctv.ca article (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080207/speech_writer_080207/20080207?hub=Politics)
Flaherty hired a man named Hugh McPhie who was paid $122,000 for his assistance. Personally, I believe with certainty that last year's budget (with its abandonment of Canada's aboriginals, the environment, and children living in poverty) was no where near good enough to deserve such an extravagent and exorbitant paycheque.

Although Flaherty is now claiming to follow the rules, his promises ought not to be believed. This is too little and it's most definitely too late.

February 4, 2008

Is the Government Trying to Purge the Civil Service??

Recently, I have written about heinous attempts by the Harper government to interfere with Canada's nuclear regulatory agency, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which culminated in the firing of Linda Keen by Natural Resources Minister, Gary Lunn. This government has taken every opportunity it can grasp to get rid of unco-operative civil servants and bureaucrats. Their policies have been so bad that even government employees have been criticizing them. Unfortunatly, the authoritarian Harper regime can't handle criticism and resorts to firing its critics!

The latest victim is Deanna Allan, who worked as the vice-president of communications for the Canadian Wheat Board. On Friday, she announced that she had been fired by CWB President and Harper Yes Man Greg Arason. Arason himself was hired last year when the Conservatives fired then-President Adrian Measner for his support of the CWB's monopoly on wheat and barley.

Allan, Keen, and Measner were doing their jobs properly, and not according to the wishes of the government, and they lost their jobs for it. Stephen Harper and his cabinet ministers are acting like school-yard bullies, and the Canadian people cannot get rid of them soon enough.