[Macdonald/Borden]

And I should mention that I would try to follow an ambitious social agenda, with a fully funded National Child Care program (no excuses since it can easily be done) and if the government can not afford to fund Public Auto Insurance or Pharmacare than I if PM would at least make them partially government funded for now. I would also eliminate the GST from essential family products to help working class families, and I would not force families who make less than 15, 000 dollars to pay Income Tax. <br /> <br />Families in between $ 5, 000 - 40, 000 a year with children in College/University will also get tax credits. Larger credits if their single parent families.

[Dr Caleb]

[QUOTE BY= Macdonald/Borden <br />Families in between $ 5, 000 - 40, 000 a year with children in College/University will also get tax credits. Larger credits if their single parent families. [/QUOTE] <br /> <br />Aaaa! A Liberal Tax plan(R) (TM)! People who make less than $40k per year can't afford to send kids to University, so the net effect of that plan is nothing. <br /> <br />I would use Air Force #411 Squadron to ferry myself and my cabinet to Cuba for weekly 'Cabinet fact finding missions'. While there I would hire a couple Mexican Houseboys, and a couple Cuban Housekeepers for Sussex Drive. <br /> <br />Then I'd have a Brass Pole and mirror ball installed in the master bedroom. <br /> <br />Sorry, you asked what would *I* do . . . <br /> <br />

[Kory Yamashita]

To address Macdonald/Borden's post-secondary tax relief scheme, I think it ignores a huge demographic. Why not strike any student loans belonging to students who pay their own way through school and finish it with small loans? This encourages the student to go out and work hard during the summer to pay for his or her education, instead of the tax credits being seen as a handout for people who are too lazy to work. <br /> <br />And also, I don't think any student who attends classes full time for 8 months a year should be paying taxes. My student loans mirror the taxes I pay. Limiting student options after college/university by forcing students to graduate with loans is much worse for our economy than it would be to lose the minimal taxes paid by those students. Besides, post-secondary education is an investment in the infrastructure of our country. Thus, the student has already made a significant investment of all their time (both at work to pay for school and school itself). So why tax them? <br /> <br />Sorry for the rant.

[Perturbed]

[QUOTE BY= Dr Caleb] [QUOTE BY= Macdonald/Borden <br />Families in between $ 5, 000 - 40, 000 a year with children in College/University will also get tax credits. Larger credits if their single parent families. [/QUOTE] <br /> <br />Aaaa! A Liberal Tax plan(R) (TM)! People who make less than $40k per year can't afford to send kids to University, so the net effect of that plan is nothing. <br /> <br />I would use Air Force #411 Squadron to ferry myself and my cabinet to Cuba for weekly 'Cabinet fact finding missions'. While there I would hire a couple Mexican Houseboys, and a couple Cuban Housekeepers for Sussex Drive. <br /> <br />Then I'd have a Brass Pole and mirror ball installed in the master bedroom. <br /> <br />Sorry, you asked what would *I* do . . . <br /> <br />[/QUOTE] <br /> <br /> <br />Heh.

[Macdonald/Borden]

Striking loans for students who work is an admirable idea! I wish that we could simply provide post-secondary education as a fully funded government program, but I realize that we are not Ireland and it would be an expensive endevour! Though it might be worth looking into realistic ways that the government in the future could help provide for post-secondary ed., as you are correct it is an investment in our nation's future! <br /> <br />Myself Im going to be starting College (maybe afterwards University) next year and I have to think hard about how exactly Im going to afford it. Im considering joining the reserves as it's good pay, and only two weekends a month. Its not a for sure thing yet, but there aren't alot of good options if you don't come from a family which can pay for it!

[Kory Yamashita]

Macdonald/Borden: Here's some tips that you've probably already heard: <br /> <br />-apply for every scholarship and bursary you can find (look into your parents' unions, maybe a credit union if you are a member of one, any organisation that anyone in your family is affiliated with in any way... often scholarships and bursaries go unclaimed and so all it takes is an application.) <br /> <br />-if you're going into a field that will be easy to find work in, don't be afraid of student loans. <br /> <br />-jobs in resource extraction or heavy industry pay ridiculously well. Many large corporations will hire a huge number of students as a public relations thing. My summer job almost covers my annual expenses... but the working conditions suck and I have to put in about 60-70 hours per week to make the kind of money I need <br /> <br />-if you have any disabilities, are an aboriginal or visible minority, look into organisations related to that. <br /> <br />-think of every organisation you've been a part of or anyone in your family is affiliated with. Even if they don't have bursaries or scholarships, write them a letter asking them. Sometimes they will create an award specifically for one person. <br /> <br />-set your standards high for a summer job. Apply at places that pay the wages you want. And make sure you jump through ALL the hoops (my job required me to send in transcripts and follow up letters and medical questionaires, etc) <br /> <br />Hope this helps!

[Calumny]

I remember Reform, or whatever the hell they called themselves then, candidates stridently stating they'd refuse the MP pension plan. <br /> <br />Then when they got there...well, something changed and most couldn't get on the gravy train fast enough, for of course quite rational reasons. The point most seemed to miss was that legal entitlement isn't the same as ethical choice. <br /> <br />Point is, there aren't many who know what they'll do until they're there. Corruption can be appalling from a distance but, seductive in close proximity. <br /> <br />Dr. Caleb is right. Medical, educational, etc. tax credits don't help those who can't afford the expenditure in the first place, only those who can.

[Kory Yamashita]

True true... and we're moving in the direction where more people will be unable to afford education as the wealth gap increases. <br /> <br />Calumny... didn't the Bloc do something similar?? They initially said that if they were elected they would refuse to show up in parliament because they didn't consider themselves a part of Canada... and then suddenly they were there.

[Calumny]

I couldn't say re: the Bloc, Kory. <br /> <br />The pension issue has stuck in my mind for a number of reasons. <br /> <br />For my part, the types of actions I'd campaign on wouldn't get me elected as many wouldn't be very popular in some quarters.

[Brianne]

If I were Prime Minister... *grin* I'd have a lot of fun, I think. I'd totally pull a Trudeau: Pirouettes behind the Queen, invite hot guys (as opposed to the ladies) to my hotel room, finger the paparazzi... Well, I might get down the legislating. <br /> <br />I'd change the education funding to reflect the actual goals of education. That is, I'd make sure the generations being educated would be able to create the tax base required to keep pensioners alive without destroying the opportunities of those being educated. <br /> <br />I'd put a lot of money into preventative health care. Although, as a smoker, I feel hypocritical saying this, tehre are a lot of little things that can improve health and save money. <br /> <br />I'd abrogate NAFTA and other trade deals, especially those using the national treatment clause, so that Canadian industries could be owned by Canadians, and we could subsidies any infant industries. <br /> <br />Allow, and encourage, more women to enter the work force by properly funding Child Care initiatives; enforcing gender equity in pay; support businesses which have flexible work hours, which parents require. Ect ect, I could rattle on, but its detailed and boring. <br /> <br />Place an emphasis on green technologies and energy. There are excellent economic, environmental, and social reasons to do this, but for me, it would be a whim, really. <br /> <br />Ask the provinces to allow the federal government to have full responsibilities for health and education (it would never happen, but I'd ask nicely). <br /> <br />There's much more... I have to get to class (Gov of Canada; not nearly as interesting as it would seem).

[Macdonald/Borden]

Hey Brianne if neither of us win a majority, you wanna form a coalition, LOL? By the way, thanks for the advice Kory!

[Milton]

If I was elected Prime Minister I would to pass laws to ensure that farmers grew crops organically. Organic farms would be tax exempt. Farmers would be required to take their crops to farmers markets in the cities rather than sell them to the multinational corpse. <br />I would pay students to go to educational organizations, these organizations would be where real work gets done as well as book learning. I would raise the royalty on exported gas and oil to 30% of the US sales price. I would fund renewable energy research, ie. solar, wind-electricity-hydrogen, etc. <br />There would be no taxes for those earning less than $20,000 per year and there would be 100% taxes for any amount earned over $250,000 per year. Trusts of all types would be taxable. Foriegn owned businesses would be taxed on their gross income instead of their net income. Countries with no social safety nets and no environmental safety nets would not be allowed to export goods to Canada. <br />Dreaming is easy.

[Reverend Blair]

The first thing I'd do is go for a swim in that big honkin' pool. <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/cool.gif' alt='Cool'> <br /> <br />Then I'd back out of NAFTA, make some serious attempts at getting fair trade deals with the EU, South American countries, Asia and Africa. <br /> <br />That would drive everything everything else because it would force us to be a multilateral country again instead of dealing bilaterally with the US. Organic crops, greater participation in the UN, raising our aid contributions, etc. <br /> <br />Canada was on a pretty good track until we bought into the original FTA. That's when things changed and we began looking almost exclusively south for everything. <br /> <br />

[Macdonald/Borden]

That is so true Rev., but hey if John Kerry (who might not be better than Bush, but is at least protectionist) is elected than chances are the Yanks'll back out of NAFTA, and when they do we really won't have much reason to stay ourselves, and for that matter neither will Mexico!

[Reverend Blair]

Well, Georgie's back in so it looks like the guns 'n money boys are going to get their way for the next four years. <br /> <br />Seymour Hersch was on CBC Radio a couple days ago suggesting that the world will take steps to rein Bush in if he's re-elected. Maybe they'll rein in Martin while they are at it. <br /> <br />