Posts Tagged by budget
Ignatieff Allows Protest Vote
| 2/4/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
In the first test of his leadership, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has allowed a protest vote from six Newfoundland MPs. He’s drawn some criticism for having done so but since some of the sources are hacks like Tom Flanagan, a buddy of Harper, I don’t put a lot of stock in the criticism.
For some, the question is how can this be a one time exception? What happens next time Danny Williams brings pressure to bear?
If Ignatieff wants to set himself out as a reasoned alternative to Harper, he might want to rethink the ‘one time’ concept. He may want to giving some serious consideration to serving notice on Harper that punitive moves on any region of this country will resulting in him allowing protest votes from Liberal MPs in that region. (more…)
Parliament Opens, Let the Games Begin
| 1/26/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Well, parliament has reopened without a lot of pomp and circumstance. The lack of show was more due to the frigid cold than any austerity move. I’ve been in Ottawa and around the Hill this time of year, it is VERY cold there. The throne speech, written by the government and delivered by the Governor General, was relatively brief as throne speeches go.
The big news of the day wasn’t really the throne speech anyways. The bigger news is the budget that will be delivered tomorrow. Many of the details of the budget has been ‘leaked’, although when the leaking gets done by government officials and ministers, that is deliberate.
It appears there is going to be a $64billion deficit in the next two years. That is a complete 180 degree turn for the Conservatives from just two months ago when they claimed that we first of all were not going into a recession and secondly that we would not be incurring a deficit if a downturn should occur. (more…)
Budget Time Approaching
| 1/24/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
All eyes will be on Ottawa for the next few days leading up to Tuesday’s budget reading. It’s been a bit of an odd path to this budget. First we had an election that Harper called because he claimed that Parliament had become dysfunctional, which was true but largely because he and his people chose to make it so.
During that election, Harper either was blind to the fact that an economic tsunami was bearing down on the world or was deluded enough to actually believe that it would miraculously wash itself around Canada while engulfing our largest trading partner, the USA. He belittled the opposition when they spoke of the need to take immediate measures to offset the coming storm. He did note however that the stock market meltdown that was underway did provide some excellent buying opportunities. He didn’t seem to notice that those losing their shirt to create those opportunities, included Canadians.
More out of an inability of Dion to present himself as a viable alternative to Harper than anything else, Canadians, that is the 49% who decided to turn out to vote, once again gave more Conservative candidates their vote. Basically we gave what appeared to be the lessor of several evils the benefit of the doubt. (more…)
Debt Related Deaths
| 1/6/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian News |
I’ve been watching the reports out of Quebec about the family that parents allegedly formed a suicide pact after killing their three children. While the husband died, the wife survived and is now charged with three counts of murder and one of assisted suicide.
Having experienced depression myself, I can understand someone reaching their breaking point. I have to stop short of understanding what drives a person not to have enough of the will to survive to reach for help but it is not impossible to understand that depth of depression.
Try as I might, I just don’t understand is what drives a person(s) to murder their children before taking themselves out. A good friend of mine maintains that suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness but I’m inclined to think that the murder of children and/or spouse first has to top suicide as the ultimate in selfishness. I realize that some might see that as ‘sparing’ them the pain of carrying on but the reality is, it is bloody selfish to deprive others of a life because you can’t handle yours. (more…)
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