en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/632410 Comments by callmemit http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/07/the-end-of-the-liberal-empire/#IDComment66824535 Mr Ignatieff would do well to read Jeffery Simpsons book The Friendly Dictator - I watch Harper manipulate the voting public and it appears he is using this for his playbook. Having said that we as voters and canadians need to look less at the Leader we elect than the team behind the Leader - I think our future depends more on a good plan rather than a strong and controlling leader like we have now - Harper is not known for his listening skills or his ability to handle dissent well. Mr Ignatieff has had lots of practice lately and I think that is a good thing. People are becoming more active atleast cyber-wise in politics - CAPP is a good example. People Power is what the leader of the British Conservatives is pushing. We do not need expensive Nannying by the government and NIMBY's are losing their edge. If you do the math on Harper's Conservatism you will find that being a neo-con stops at his chequebook - There is room for the Libs to move to the right - Harper has vacated that field Fri, 9 Apr 2010 16:07:51 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/07/the-end-of-the-liberal-empire/#IDComment66824535 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/04/the-government-delivers-an-empty-almost-flippant-budget/#IDComment59936909 Every timeI see those two with their thumbs in the air - I think they are saying - Sit on it and rotate - Harper - Not a leader! Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:49:30 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/04/the-government-delivers-an-empty-almost-flippant-budget/#IDComment59936909 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/04/the-government-delivers-an-empty-almost-flippant-budget/#IDComment59936544 What spending cuts? Iggy is smart to leave an election until after their planning conference - Harper doesn't do well in parliament or debates so I expect he will be looking for more opportunities to leave the country - Photo opps in Chile? Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:46:03 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/04/the-government-delivers-an-empty-almost-flippant-budget/#IDComment59936544 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/29/bad-news-for-omar-khadr-sort-of/#IDComment54420254 If Khadr comes back to Canada I hope it is a different prime minister in charge and will instruct Khadr that if he wishes to sue that he sue the executive currently in charge of denying human rights in Canada. Harper was all too happy to give Maher Arar $10 million plus legal fees - He denied Richard Colvin's lawyer fees but paid $800,000 for Mulroney and then set aside 1.25 million more for him AND gave Mulroney a tax break by only making him pay taxes for only half the $225,000 Mulroney neglected to claim. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:01:21 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/29/bad-news-for-omar-khadr-sort-of/#IDComment54420254 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment54419408 Well atleast we have strong banks that pushed their subprime mortgages back to the government Oh - And they got a stern letter from Mr Flaherty that we must have 30 days notice before they jack up our fees - That's nice Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:50:37 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment54419408 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment54419287 A $21 billion sacred cow- and we still do not have Arctic Icebreakers or Navy Frigates Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:49:03 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment54419287 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment53976395 PM Harper likes to strike fear in to voters - warning against the tax and spend policies of the left - Seems Harpers tax cut and spend policies are not working either. Bush liked those too! With the average government wage at a 17.3% premium to the private sector according to the CFIB I think some work towards narrowing that gap is in order. Maybe cut out a few billion dollars of consultant work and get these highly paid administrators to do some investigating on their own using their knowledge and skills that they are paid for can help. This is a phenomenom in all 3 layers of government. I am not talking about doing a Mike Harris style slash and burn and dump on the lower tier what's left action but rather a concerted realization by all levels of government that there is only one pocket to pick and we taxpayers like to pay our way but not one penny more than is necessary! Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:46:11 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/25/how-to-cut-20-billion-from-spending-without-really-trying/#IDComment53976395 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/19/the-politicizing-of-haiti/#IDComment53640024 I knew that our government was politicizing this as soon as they announced we were sending journalists on the first relief flights - There were some on the ships too. I'm guessing CBC had to take the long way down. CTV had first crack at the TV. Haiti is not a photo opp! Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:36:01 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/19/the-politicizing-of-haiti/#IDComment53640024 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/23/the-commons-i-shouldnt-have-to-be-here/#IDComment53636811 Something the Media has missed but Harper and his MP's know is the thousands of emails they got from this group - The common mindset that appeared amongst a dysfunctional group with a demographic that would send any economist or pollster running for the bottle. Divergent political views focusing on something we did not even have to think about until now - Democracy. Imagine that for one day Canadians in small cities and towns got their wollies out and gave the Prime Minister of this great country a wedgie! Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:48:44 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/23/the-commons-i-shouldnt-have-to-be-here/#IDComment53636811 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/14/todays-poll-points-to-a-feel-better-budget/#IDComment52216071 Paul Martin tried to bring in corporate tax cuts but the NDP wouldn't support it and harper wouldn't support the Liberals - Paul Martin did get a chance to cut income tax but Harper pulled the plug before it could make it thru the house. Our First GST cut was paid for by reversing the Martin income tax cut - Good for high earners - not so for the middle class. Harper complained about Liberal Spending and then outspent them - said we would not have a recession - a deficit - a technical deficit - a structural deficit - a tax and spend budget (if we elected Liberals apparently) - tax increases or spending cuts - Now Harper is saying we need more economic action but no tax increase (Don't count the extra $44 EI payments for many Canadians) Flaherty was saying no spending cuts or tax increases and now he is talking spending cuts - What is next? A Carbon tax? Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:19:16 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/14/todays-poll-points-to-a-feel-better-budget/#IDComment52216071 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/17/the-commons-back-to-the-future/#IDComment43913855 It's rather simple actually - It's called a carbon tax on fuel - The USA needs to join in along with Mexico - A North American Solution - What does it fix? Governments get more revenue (They need it) Environment gets help (Quite simple - we cut back when it gets more expensive - Myself I'd rather see the government paying back some of their debt with the increased price than Oil Execs lining their pockets from high oil - Oil prices would likely stay around the same price per Bbl with a higher tax) Economy gets help - As transportation becomes more expensive the costs of shipping goes up making local suppliers more competitive. Staycations - housing renos - more fuel efficient cars - alternate energy all become more feasible and jobs come with that. Income tax cuts at the lower level become possible as the shift goes to consumption taxes putting more money in peoples pockets to chose how to spend. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08:14 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/17/the-commons-back-to-the-future/#IDComment43913855 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/06/econowatch-31/#IDComment42352357 Just curious - how do you know which way to move the needle? Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:00:17 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/06/econowatch-31/#IDComment42352357 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/05/the-case-against-the-gun-registry-id-like-to-hear/#IDComment42352006 long guns are not the problem, long guns are not an effective weapon in the commission of a crime, long guns are treated the same as restricted weapons, illegal weapons are the major choice of criminals, the registry does not change the requirements for gun ownership, the registry may create a lack of attentiveness in police responding to a domestic dispute where no registered weapons are present, the long gun registry is promoted as a solution to gun crime where the only identified benefit is being able to return stolen guns to the rightful owner (No guns are actually eliminated by registering them) , an effort to reduce illegal guns and the banning of automatic weapons, sawed off shot guns and large calibre guns would be more effective from a crime reduction and controlling costs aspect (Why anyone needs a legally registered sawed off shotgun or automatic weapon is beyong me) and by concentrating the registry on the restricted weapons police will have more time to investigate proper storage methods etc. from a smaller base of gun owners. Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:55:29 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/05/the-case-against-the-gun-registry-id-like-to-hear/#IDComment42352006 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/09/a-constitutional-crisis-on-the-friday-before-a-long-weekend/#IDComment38032855 Well Mr Harper better call an unnecessary election over this :) Fri, 9 Oct 2009 21:47:07 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/09/a-constitutional-crisis-on-the-friday-before-a-long-weekend/#IDComment38032855 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37075460 the Harper government gloats that the current federal debt of about $500 billion, relative to the size of the overall economy, isn't any worse than most industrialized countries. But add in all the debt of the provinces, territories and municipalities, and Canadian taxpayers are on the hook for close to $1 trillion, or roughly $33,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. What does all that mean to the average Canadian family? $50 billion It means Canadians this year will pay somewhere around $50 billion in interest on the total debt so far accumulated by all levels of government. That works out to an average interest charge of about $1,400 per person. From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation! SCARY Sat, 3 Oct 2009 21:28:55 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37075460 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37070637 Harrington - I wish I could dispute your comment. f4hq - I agree wholeheartedly but the current governments are the only ones who can reduce their own weight. I secretly wished that PM Harper would have been able to spread some of his Libertarian leanings in the Fed system but sadly he has failed miserably. I was against his tax policy but I thought his smaller government and accountability initiatives would have compensated - Sadly we now have an even bigger BLOATED government and no transparency. Tant Pis Sat, 3 Oct 2009 20:05:36 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37070637 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37034836 The only way out as I see it is a global carbon tax - Not some cap and trade manipulation scheme. This would actually lend some stablility to oil prices avoiding some of the peaks and valleys - give governments more direct dollars from consumers, encourage local economies, give consumers choices in the level of taxation (Use less - less taxes) help out the environment, enable a mechanism for the World Bank to get money from outside the political realm. It would be a way to redistribute wealth across the globe - Allow governments time for more inward thinking - flatten out some trade imbalances and spur investments in Greener Energy sources. The ones that might be hurt are oil companies, low cost labour exporters and sociopath dictators but overall the human population has little sympathy forthese folks anyways. Sat, 3 Oct 2009 12:14:25 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37034836 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37033487 I see the new tax payer sponsored Economic Action Plan ads by this government now say "The Home Renovation Tax Credit plan"(subject to parliamentary approval" ) - Do these folks have no conscience? Are Canadians that stupid? Iggy needs to line up and get this Tax Credit passed and the EI changes as minimal as they are and get his platform out to the public. Sat, 3 Oct 2009 11:56:52 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/10/02/why-the-recession-is-here-to-stay/#IDComment37033487 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/14/are-employment-insurance-reforms-worth-fighting-an-election-over/#IDComment35089887 How many of those elections were forced by Mr Harper - If it wasn't for MP Cadman we would have had another - If Harper hadn't perouged parliament we would have had a different PM not an election. If Harper would stand up for Canada rather than buying votes we would have a different financial situation and maybe even a Conservative Majority government. Yes we get the parliament we deserve - So Sad - Tant pis Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:34:38 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/14/are-employment-insurance-reforms-worth-fighting-an-election-over/#IDComment35089887 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/18/exit-strategy/#IDComment35010078 Harper's new Free Trade stance is to remove the remaining tarrifs on machinery imports to show good faith as a free trader. So we have a higher dollar advantage for importing goods - reduced corporate taxes - an global recession that has lowered machinery prices and an accelerated capital depreciation rate for machinery purchases. Any company that is putting off machinery in todays environment doesn't need that extra. Besides we have a deficit - taking money off the purchase of foreign goods is something we need. The remaining machine manufacturers in Canada are dealing not only with the Buy American issue but a higher dollar that increases the price of their product - This will be a death knell. If quality and delivery are the same for a machine purchase and a company can buy it cheaper off shore then they should. However with many short-sighted - share price focused decision makers the costs of poorly made equipment - foreign parts and 4 week delivery in case of breakdowns is not on their ledger. Mouldmakers in Windsor have moved to repairing poorly made foreign moulds - or replacing them. At a premium also because of time committments. Can't see the sense in this governments thinking. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:34:02 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/18/exit-strategy/#IDComment35010078