Authoritarian Harper Dumps Tory Candidate in Toronto Centre

The following is taken directy off BobRae.ca. Enjoy.


The treatment of my Conservative opponent Mark Warner by the Harper Conservatives is a national disgrace.
Mr Warner was the duly nominated candidate in Toronto Centre, and in that role I came to know him as a thoughtful and hardworking person whose differences with me did not prevent us from establishing a sense of mutual respect. For him to have been summarily removed speaks to a dangerous controlling and authoritarian streak that runs right through Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party.

The citizens of Toronto Centre now know that someone who speaks out on social issues has no place in the Harper Conservatives. It is truly disgraceful to see a hardworking and honest candidate treated this way.

TTC suspects province is plotting a takeover

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/269896

An interesting article from the Toronto Star. Personally, I'm not sure where I stand on this. If Toronto can't handle their transit system than someone needs to deliver it to Canada's most populated city. But what kind of president would this set? Is Montreal in the same category? Or Vancouver? Or Ottawa?

Liberals Ask: Where’s the Accountability?

When it comes to accountability, the Conservative minority government is all talk and no action, the Liberal Mark Holland challenged today.

Mr. Holland was attacked to recent news reports indicating the department of Public Works, responsible for procurement for the entire federal government, has washed its hands of the oversight of government contracts.

Michael Ignatieff later pointed out that Public Works has quietly deleted all references to accountability from its supply manual which spells out lines of responsibility for government procurement.

Considering the Conservative Party promised an open and transparent government during the last election, it’s clear that this government doesn’t practice what it preaches. It is time for Stephen Harper to do the right thing and be honest with Canadians about his government’s hypocritical conduct.

Harper Must Come Clean on Deceptive Financing

Harper has been playing politics and come clean on his alleged involvement in deceptive financing practices during the 2006 parliamentary election, the Liberals demanded today.

Stephane Dion challenge Harper the other day during question period regarding to subject, resulting in no answer.

Despite several opportunities to absolve himself of any implication in the scandal, Harper refused to answer the Liberals' questions, choosing instead to hide behind Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan.

The Conservatives are currently being investigated by Elections Canada for allegedly breaking campaign spending laws during the 2006 general election by funneling national advertising costs to regional candidates, who were then able to apply for taxpayer-funded rebates.

For a party that boasts accountability, the Conservatives’ own practices seem nothing short of hypocritical. It is time for Harper and his party to start telling the truth. Canadians deserve an honest and accountable government.

Speech from the Throne

This speech went no where. It must be the most vague speech from the throne I have ever seen. All I know is that he has a far too slim goal on the environment (seriously 20% by 2020?), that he has copped out on federal-provincial transfers by cutting funds going to the provinces, and wishes to extend the mission in Afghanistan. I'm shocked.

Abu Mazen aid: Kotel is ours

An adviser to Palestinian Authority President Abu Mazen -- known on this side of the world as Mahmoud Abbas -- said the Kotel (also known as the Western Wall) should be under Palestinian control.

Adnan Husseini, aide to the Palestinian Authority president, said Thursday that Palestinian demands for Israel to cede eastern Jerusalem under any peace accord also includes the Western Wall.

"This is part of Islamic heritage that cannot be given up, and it must be under Muslim control," Husseini told Israel's NRG Web site, adding that all of Jerusalem's Old City should be part of a future Palestinian state. He made similar comments in an interview with Israel Radio.

The Kotel is a last vestige of the Second Temple, which was razed by the Romans in 70 CE. Today it abuts the Temple Mount, which houses Islam's third-holiest shrine. Muslims refer to the wall as Al-Burak, a reference to the Prophet Mohammed's horse, which he is said to have tethered at the site.

Abu Mazen had no immediate comment on Husseini's statements, which appeared to contradict several past land-for-peace proposals that had won international consensus and called for Israel to retain control of the Western Wall and Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City.

Husseni's assertions caused uproar in Israel's right-wing opposition, which accused the Olmert government of escalating the Palestinian Authority's territorial demands by proposing a division of Jerusalem into two capitals for two peoples.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said a future peace accord with the Palestinians would require Israel to give up on some of its long-standing national claims but did not specify a plan for Jerusalem.

This speaks badly for the possibility of peace and further proves that Israel lacks a partner in its quest for peace.

PM wasting tax dollars

The Toronto Star reported here that Prime Minister Harper is planning a $2 million personal media studio. Now one might think this is an instant waste of cash, however, let us remember he has only ever used the National Press Gallery once during his tenure as Prime Minister. Obviously, the existing studio isn't up to snuff and we need to start from scratch. And let us not forget the Liberal bias in the media. This will keep those media circuits that unfairly and unabashadly support the Liberal Party of Canada away from him.

...or he's just being partisan and wasting our money...

Eelction Victory

Just wanting to send a big congradulations to all my friends across the province the worked so hard to do that amazing job they did. Well done every body!

Ontario Election Outcome?

Alright folks, we know Newfoundland's Tory Government of Danny Williams ran away with that election yesterday taking 43 of the 47 seats in the House. And while I do expect a majority today, I do not expect something anywhere in the neighbourhood of such a landslide. So without further ado here is my political childishness as I predict all 107 ridings and the referendum.

CENTRAL ONTARIO
Ajax-Pickering -- Kevin Ashe, PC
Barrie -- Joe Tascona, PC
Bramalea-Gore-Malton -- Kuldip Kular, LIB
Brampton-Springdale -- Linda Jeffrey, LIB
Brampton West -- Mark Beckles, PC
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound – Bill Murdoch, PC
Burlington - Joyce Savoline, PC
Dufferin-Caledon -- Sylvia Jones, PC
Durham - John O'Toole, PC
Haliburton-Kwartha Lakes-Brock -- Laurie Scott, PC
Markham-Unionville -- Michael Chan, LIB
Mississauga-Brampton South -- Amrit Mangat, LIB
Mississauga East-Cooksville -- Zoran Churchin, PC
Mississauga-Erindale -- David Brown, PC
Mississauga South -- Tim Peterson, PC
Mississauga-Streetsville -- Bob Delaney, LIB
Newmarket-Aurora -- Frank Klees, PC
Northumberland-Quite West -- Lou Rinaldi, LIB
Oak Ridges-Markham -- Helena Jaczek, LIB
Oakville -- Kevin Flynn, LIB
Oshawa -- Jerry Ouellette, PC
Parry Sound-Muskoka -- Norm Miller, PC
Peterborough -- Jeff Leal, LIB
Richmond Hill -- Reza Moridi, LIB
Simcoe-Grey -- Jim Wilson, LIB
Simcoe North -- Garfield Dunlop, PC
Thornhill -- Peter Shurman, PC
Vaughn -- Greg Sorbara, LIB
Whitby-Oshawa -- Christine Elliott, PC
York-Simcoe -- Julia Munro, PC

EASTERN
Carleton-Mississipi Mills -- Norm Sterling, PC
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell -- Jean-Marc Lalonde, LIB
Kingston and the Islands -- John Gerretsen, LIB
Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington -- Randy Hillier, PC
Leeds-Grenville -- Bob Runciman, LIB
Nepean-Carleton -- Lisa MacLeod, PC
Northumberland-Quinte West – Lou Rinaldi, LIB
Ottawa Centre -- Yasir Naqvi, LIB
Ottawa Orleans -- Phil McNeely, LIB
Ottawa South -- Dalton McGuinty, LIB
Ottawa-Vanier -- Madeleine Meilleur, LIB
Ottawa West-Nepean -- Jim Watson, LIB
Prince Edward-Hastings -- Leona Dombrowsky, PC
Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke -- John Yakabuski, PC
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry -- Jim Brownell, LIB

SOUTH CENTRAL
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale -- Ted McMeekin, LIB
Brant -- Dave Levac, LIB
Cambridge -- Gerry Martiniuk, PC
Guelph -- Liz Sandals, LIB
Haldimand-Norfolk -- Toby Barrett, PC
Halton - Ted Chudleigh, PC
Hamilton Centre -- Andrea Horwath, NDP
Hamilton East-Stoney Creek -- Paul Miller, NDP
Hamilton Mountain -- Bryan Adamczyk, NDP
Huron-Bruce -- Rob Morley, PC
Kitchener Centre -- John Milloy, LIB
Kitchener-Conestoga -- Michael Harris, PC
Kitchener-Waterloo -- Elizabeth Witmer, PC
Niagara Falls -- Kim Craitor, LIB
Niagara West-Glanbrook -- Tim Hudak, PC
Oxford -- Ernie Hardeman, PC
Perth-Wellington -- John Wilkinson, LIB
St. Catharines -- Jim Bradley, LIB
Welland -- Peter Kormos, NDP
Wellington-Halton Hills -- Ted Arnott, PC

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Chatham-Kent-Essex -- Pat Hoy, LIB
Elgin-Middlesex-London -- Steve Peters, LIB
Essex -- Bruce Crozier, LIB
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex -- Maria Van Bommel, LIB
London North Centre -- Deb Matthews, LIB
London-Fanshawe -- Khalil Ramal, LIB
London West -- Chris Bentley, LIB
Sarnia Lambton -- Caroline Di Cocco, LIB
Windsor-Tecumseh -- Dwight Duncan, LIB
Windsor West -- Sandra Pupatello, LIB

NORTHERN ONTARIO
Algoma-Manitoulin -- Mike Brown, LIB
Kenora-Rainy River -- Howard Hampton, NDP
Nickel Belt -- Ron Dupuis, LIB
Nipissing -- Monique Smith, LIB
Sault Ste. Marie -- David Orazietti, LIB
Thunder Bay-Atikokan -- Bill Mauro, LIB
Thunder Bay-Superior North -- Michael Gravelle, LIB
Timiskaming-Cochrane -- David Ramsay, LIB
Timmins-James Bay -- Gilles Bisson, NDP

TORONTO
Beaches-East York -- Michael Prue, NDP
Davenport -- Tony Ruprecht, LIB
Don Valley East -- David Caplan, LIB
Don Valley West -- Kathleen Wynne, LIB
Eglinton-Lawrence -- Bernie Tanz, PC
Etobicoke Centre -- Donna Cansfield, LIB
Etobicoke-Lakeshore -- Laurel Broten, LIB
Etobicoke North -- Shafiq Qaadri, LIB
Parkdale-High Park -- Cheri DiNovo, NDP
Pickering-Scarborough East – Diana Hall, PC
Scarborough-Agincourt -- Gerry Phillips, LIB
Scarborough Centre -- Brad Duguid, LIB
Scarborough-Guildwood -- Gary Grant, PC
Scarborough-Rouge River -- Bas Balkissoon, LIB
Scarborough Southwest -- Lorenzo Berardinetti, LIB
St. Paul's -- Michael Bryant, LIB
Toronto Centre -- George Smitherman, LIB
Toronto Danforth -- Peter Tabuns
Trinity-Spadina -- Rosario Marchese
Willowdale -- David Shiner, PC
York Centre -- Monte Kwinter, PC
York South-Weston -- Paul Ferreira, NDP
York West -- Mario Sergio, LIB


LIBERAL PARTY: 62
PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY: 35
NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 10


Referendum
As much as I want this to pass, I suspect it will not. In fact, I expect the Yes side to receive somewhere in the neighbourhood of 55% of the vote and about 60 (of the needed 64) ridings.

Election Day in Newfoundland

I have no doubt that Danny Williams will return as Premier of Newfoundland today - potentially with an enlarged majority. But all the same I wish Gerry Reid and his candidates a good showing.

Poll says most North Americans support free trade

Let's kick it off by talking about this idea that most Canadians support free trade. Fantastic! (Now some Liberals can come at me on this one.)

Twenty years after Canada and the United States negotiated the FTA, most North Americans believe the deal fueled economic growth, according to a new poll.

Finalized in October of 1987, the FTA was finalized was designed to erase trade restrictions between the two countries. Critics worried it would erode Canada's sovereignty.

But 77 percent of Americans and 73 per cent of Canadians now believe free trade is crucial to North America's continued prosperity, according to an exclusive poll for Policy Options magazine that was provided to CTV News.

Among Canadians, 57 per cent of respondents said their country would be worse off without free trade. For Americans, it was 55.6 per cent.

By contrast, exactly one quarter of Canadians said their country would be better off without free trade, while 19.1 per cent of Americans said the same.

The FTA was superseded by the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, which brought in Mexico as another major trade partner.

When respondents were asked if they supported strengthening economic integration between Canada and the U.S., 67 per cent of Canadians said yes.

The poll also covered another sovereignty issue: the movement of people between Canada and the U.S. Despite heightened concerns about terrorism since the attacks of 9/11, the survey found that 58 per cent of Americans supported the free movement of people across the border -- although 29.8 per cent only "somewhat supported" the idea. For Canadians, it was a total of 64 per cent.

So what am I saying? Only what I've always been saying. NAFTA works. Its good for our economy. Its good for the American economy. And its good for the Mexican economy. NAFTA has stimulated job growth and increased value of currency in Canada and Mexico. Job growth. Economic growth. That was the purpose of free trade when Sir Wilfred Laurier supported it nearly 100 years ago. And that was the purpose of free trade when it was impliment nearly 15 years ago. And that is the effect of it today.

I'm Back!

Alright folks, let's get started...