[RUEZ]

Freaker Freaker:

Okay, I'll throw in my two cents worth...

Stephen Harper has a track record of saying demeaning things about Atlantic Canada

That's all well and good but what would you rather have. Someone who calls you a welfare bum, or someone who steals the money out from underneath you. Both are bad but I'd rather not be robbed by my elected officials.

[DevilsAdvocate]

RUEZ RUEZ:

Freaker Freaker:

Okay, I'll throw in my two cents worth...

Stephen Harper has a track record of saying demeaning things about Atlantic Canada

That's all well and good but what would you rather have. Someone who calls you a welfare bum, or someone who steals the money out from underneath you. Both are bad but I'd rather not be robbed by my elected officials.

Let's see $355M/30M people = $11 per person.

I think I've paid more than $11 in GST over the years. I'd rather have someone who steals my money and DOESN'T insult me than have someone who steals my money and DOES insult me.

Brian Mulroney lost a CABINET minister due to allegations of wrongdoing FOR EACH AND EVERY YEAR FROM 1984 to 1993. And they have the gall to use the word "corrupt". Pot, meet kettle.

[RUEZ]

Godz46 Godz46:

The By-election in Newfoundland cements the Liberals as the Natural Governing party, and will still be the natural governing body for a long long time.

Now that the Liberals have a sigh of relief, I strongly urge all their supporters, members and MP's to focus on keeping the country together in one piece and unite a divided country.

At this rate, regionlization is becoming a real threat to the Confederation.
Quebec has one foot out the foor and Alberta will surely follow.

Attacks on the "Alberta Rednecks" isn't helping. Neither is Quebec Bashing.


The long and short of my advice is...think outside of Ontario and the Atlantic. Have Paul Martin and Belinda Stronach spend more time in the West. Enough of the roadbloack on Gomery. Give him as much power and money he needs. And to legitimize evreything, have him hand out the convictions (which he doesn't have the power) and charge the wrongdoers to the full conviction.

I'm really worried about this, I despise the Liberal Party of course. but I love Canada more. (Don't ask me why...I don't know). So enough of the regional attacks and get this country united again.

Who are you, and what did you do with Godz?

[RUEZ]

Godz46 Godz46:

Good one. But seriously...Liberals need to act and act FAST! This isn't power that's at stake anymore. Its the Confederation itself as we know it.

Do you think the country can be held together with the Liberals at the helm. It seems the seperatists are using this Liberal scandal as a springboard for there cause. I think having the liberals in there will only help them.

[ridenrain]

Please don't send Paul & Belinda out west.. I'll be good.

This problem has been years in the making and a big maple leaf band-aid is not going to solve it. Paul Martin promised to address western alienation but it's only talk because we don't have enough votes to be important, and all they care about is votes.

A fair, responsible and stable government would go a long way to solving these problems but we're all still waiting.

Devilsadvocate:
When ministers do something or are suspected of doing something wrong, they should stand down until it's cleared up. Why are you so comfortable with the government stealing money? Stealing money and giving it to any one party are both insults, regardless of the amount.

[MAPLELEAVES]

Godz46 Godz46:

You see that's what makes things so tricky.

The only people enjoying things right now are the Seperatists in both Quebec and Alberta.

SO I'm just urging the Liberal supporters to encourage their party to undergo MASSIVE internal reforms. And fast!

Cause right now, the Liberal Party is a cocoon. A big cocoon but a Cocoon none the less.

It doesn't matter that they're no a big tent party, as long as they have Ontario, the Anglo ridings in Quebec, the city of Vacouver and Atlantic Canada, they will still remain in power. They need new blood.

Stronach and Brison come to mind. They should also bring in Taft (the Liberal party of Alberta leader), Campbell from BC, Work very closely with Charest and Dumont in Quebec. Recruit a young, clean, idealistic federalist francophone in Quebec (none come to mind right now).



So now you have strong Liberal figures, representing every region in Canada (Stronach in Ontario, Brison in ATlantic Canada, Taft from ALberta, Campbell from BC, and the unamed idealistic young federalist francophone from Quebec).
A good party leader would be Michael Ignatieff, a very well respected academic in Canada and worldwide. He's exactly what they need.

The old farts in the party need to go (Martin, Anne McLellan, Stephane Dion, Colter etc) all of them! Evreyone and evreything that was associated with Chretien and Gagliano has got to go.

And from there, tackle regionalism head on! And issue a full audit for every budget from 1993 to 2003. Track down every drop of corruption and prosecute the criminals to the full extent. Limit the powers of the PMO, increase the jurisdiction of Provinces. (That will play very well in Quebec).

You have taken away corruption, you taken away regionalism, you have strong national representation, and voila...Canada lives another day!



Just for the record, I don't like what I'm doing right now. But my focus in Canadian politics has shifted from trying to convince Canadians to vote Tory to trying to convince Canadians to stay together. I don't want people laughing at me whenever I travel saying "Canada. HA! The country that never was!!!"

I'll give a thumbs up to that!

[BartSimpson]

I forget who said it originally, but the quote goes:

"A Democracy will last until the day the people realize that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury."

Liberalism has its appeals, but the best aspects of individual liberalism should be expressed individually and not collectively through government. Once government aggrandises power unto itself it will seek to acquire more power as such is the nature of the beast.

There are a lot of great things I'd like to see happen in the world, but a bureacrat is unlikely to ever get them done. And in the rare instance that a bureacrat does get the job done they'll still fight for their budget to keep themselves in power.

Less government is the better government.