Renouvellement de la Politique Québécoise (this takes guts and makes sense)

I am sure most of Canada looked at Quebec after the federal election and scratched their heads. What was all that about? They threw out most of the Bloc, continued to punish the Liberals, and yes continued to find Harper too un-Canadian. They elected a group of youngsters, university and college kids under the NDP banner. They left some incumbents standing to make sure Quebec's interests were covered by most parties.

Canada and its media looked on and tried to figure out - how did that happen? Was it Jack Layton? Well - yes it was - in some part - as Jack is a native son and is progressive regarding social policy. Jack is also now the leader of the official opposition.

So Quebec now dominates the caucus of the official opposition which in some part counters the ownership of Government by Ontario. Quebec has sent a message to all politicians in that province - do not get too comfortable - you are replaceable. Quebec has looked to the future and said - let's bring in the rookies - the youth; let's take advantage of the vote mob and bring fresh new ideas to the table.

Let's engage the future generations of Quebec and involve them in the protection and service to Quebec - change that is required to move ahead and not stagnate.

The pundits - the critics were out in full force - essentially making fun of absentee candidates and those who were not bilingual, too young, not established, and most importantly not yet owned. That's exactly the point - Quebec rejected the establishment, the worn, the politically corrupt, and traditional voting patterns.

I look at the House of Assembly in Newfoundland and Labrador - my home province - and am jealous of the Quebec political renewal. I look at the bourgeois population of the peoples House and am tired and bored. I know the new kids on the bloc representing Quebec in Ottawa - despite being rank amateurs in the politics of politics - are far more inspiring than the entitled MHA's we are subjects of.

Look at the nodding heads sitting behind Ms. Dunderdale or other Cabinet Ministers; do they inspire you? Do you get a sense of independent thought from any of them? Do you experience chills as they stand up and make predictable Members Statements? Their hands are "rubbed raw" from clinging to Danny's shredding coattails. They speak on important matters such as the Lower Churchill with passion only seen in the dead eyes of a drowned cod.

Quebec said no to; Crosbie begets Crosbie - Ottenheimer begets Ottenheimer - PC begets Kevin O'Brien - High School Principal begets yet another nodding head - all waiting to jump to their feet and cheer if the Premier says something - anything sounding similar to an insult to Jones or Michael.

Quebec demonstrated one very important philosophy - Democracy.

This is not about getting rid of the sovereignty debate - that is still alive and very healthy at the provincial level. It is about renewal. It is about Quebec. It is about a lively and unpredictable voting population that will keep politicians under their employ; as long as they say.

I would be willing to throw the whole works out for a bunch of new people - un"established" in the partisan sense of the word. I would love to see all MHA's replaced with students, fishers, miners, small business owners, and single parents - diverse and new. People who are truly representative of people and have the ability to have thoughts and ideas unencumbered by intrusive life-long senior bureaucrats still pushing failed and unwelcome policies.

In Quebec - this summer will be about the culture, the language, the pride, and the aspirations of a country - their own. In Newfoundland and Labrador we can look forward to unseasonably tanned politicians dragging themselves from funeral to BBQ without missing a beat and expect the people they come close to standing beside rush to get the camera to capture the moment they came close to shaking the hand of our legislative elite.

You feel comfortable with the Lower Churchill development? Why? I know Stephen Harper will be delighted to take away that cheap, renewable, reliable power and watch as Newfoundland and Labrador pays an enormous price - both short and long-term. I know Stephen and Peter will be happy to deliver to Nova Scotia and perhaps even Ontario. Stephen Harper enjoyed making a promise he will actually keep to our people - as it will represent something that diminishes our future.

You think it's time for a renewal in Newfoundland and Labrador?

The Coalition of 2007 between Harper and Duceppe - yes it was there for that budget!

You want to see a Stephen Harper coalition? Read this post and remember when the Bloc was the best thing since maple syrup. 

Whatever happened to Stephen Harper's promise? The one after the budget in 2007 - when Danny Williams and a population said you lied Prime Minister. When Harper and Conservative MP's from Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia (but one) voted away the promise to remove non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula.

For Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador - it was a devastating blow. For our province and her people it meant the loss of 10 billion dollars.

If we all remember it was a Nova Scotia MP Bill Casey who voted against his own government and budget and was booted from the Conservative caucus. Why? Because Mr. Casey had the integrity and backbone to stand for the people of his province and in fact - all of Atlantic Canada and Saskatchewan.

In case you don't remember - it was the Bloc that voted with Harper and removed this opportunity for our province and her children. This would be the same Bloc that Harper now says is dangerous and bad for the country. Harper and Fabian Manning did not blink when they used the Bloc to remove that "promise" from us and with it - the billions our children will now do without after the oil reserves are exhausted.

That money that would allow us to develop the Lower Churchill properly and without selling out yet another renewable energy asset.

So when it was convenient to use the Bloc to harm our province - Harper said yes - and worked with that coalition to get the budget implementation bill passed.

So when Harper says the Bloc is bad for Canada - and when Fabian Manning warns you at your door about the Big Bad Bloc - understand one thing - these liars and cheats will say and do anything with anyone to get and retain power.

By the way whatever happened to Harper's long since forgotten comment - that he would go to court to rebut critics who said he broke his word? I'm still here Harper - come on - have guts - don't do it in the shadows with your unknown helpers.

A vote for Harper will label us as ignorant people - for the taking! ABC

Stephen Harper came to Newfoundland and Labrador the first time - with the grinning graces of Kathy Dunderdale and the mindless MHA's standing beside her. 

Here in front of the people of our great province - Kathy Dunderdale welcomed with open arms - the man - Danny Williams had politically condemned for robbing our province. Williams said "Harper cannot be trusted", remember Kathy? 


The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador basically called you and I fools for the ABC campaign - she and her cohorts ran just a few years ago. She says to us - follow us blindly into Anything but Conservative and now follow us blindly into All aBoard Conservative. 


She sat next to Fabian Manning - the traitor who stood next to Stephen Harper and cheered as Harper removed 25 years of growth and ensured our children would not benefit from our non-renewable resource extraction. 


Then Harper returned to CBS in the hockey rink and threatened us - said he can deliver the Lower Churchill (whatever) the lie was - only if he gets a strong majority government. 


But the words that came from his mouth should turn every Newfoundlander and Labradorian away from him and Dunderdale permanently. 

Harper said: "I think we have a good record here of delivering on what we've said we would do," he said. "We have a good record of serving the people in Newfoundland and Labrador."

Please read and re-read the above until you get some sense of the character of this man - and also of our Premier who is stumping for him. 

Newfoundland and Labrador must not elect one Conservative this election or we will forever be labelled as backward - ignorant people who would fall for anything.

This - by the way - is why Kathy and her colleagues must never develop the Lower Churchill.

We do not even have to eliminate our partisan views for this one. Harper is a Conservative - in Newfoundland and Labrador they are an endangered species.  
  

Banging our head on the Canadian Wall

Have you all noticed the last month or so the hype over three Quebec bye-elections. The Conservatives - Libs - and NDP beating the streets - leaders beside themselves tripping to get into Outremont or Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean or Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot.

If this district goes Conservative - so goes the country. If the Lib does not win this seat - Dion is finished as a leader and party execs will begin the infighting. If the NDP take this seat - well they are on their way to taking the official opposition.

The media in Ottawa were in a frenzy - speculating for weeks as to what might happen and how important these "3" seats were to the future of politics in Canada. Harper had to keep momentum going in Quebec by taking a Bloc seat - Dion had to hang onto the Liberal seat or the entire Liberal machine in Canada was breaking down. If the Bloc lost one seat - Duceppe was finished - the federalists were on the rise.

Well what a mess it all was.

Here's a sample of headlines and quotes from various media...

by-election in the Liberal stronghold of Outremont will be an acid test for Stéphane Dion's leadership

Stéphane Dion spent six months searching for a star candidate to run in the Outremont by-election

The results will have major consequences for the Liberal party and Dion, as the byelection was widely considered to be a test of his leadership.

Jack Layton "Quebec has chosen a new direction, and it has started right here in Outremont. You have participated in making history and changing the course of politics in Quebec, and in Canada."

The Conservatives, who kept expectations low during their byelection campaign, were quick to call the results an indictment of Dion.

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The outcome of Monday's vote won't affect the balance of power in the House of Commons, but it will likely fuel election speculation in Ottawa, where many Conservatives appear keen on another election if the Liberals and Bloc are weak.

"Mr. Dion has spent at least seven days in the riding. He's still there today."

Dion loyalists charge byelection sabotage

In Newfoundland and Labrador - however - where the Conservatives are liable to be wiped out - WHO CARES - 7 seats and WHO CARES? Other than the Liberal and NDP wannabes who will get a nice pay-check thanks to Dan's ABC campaign - the three federal parties do not care.

If Quebec does not elect enough government MP's - appoint an unelected leach into the Cabinet. The fact that PEI (the entire province) does not have direct representation in Cabinet - who cares?

If Quebec squawks over equalization - boom - there goes Harper's promise to Newfoundland and Labrador - Nova Scotia - and Saskatchewan and WHO CARES?

Now between Quebec and Ontario - they will decide the future of our Canada - that's our federation - and it is broken. If there is no real way to resolve this - a new union must be found.

Now we know the difference - ABCD

- between Stephane Dion and Stephane (Steven) Harper.

One says he will do it and does not. The other just admits - upfront - that he won't.

Change the campaign Danny not ABC - but ABCD

Anything but Conservative & Dion!

The next federal election will be a banner one for Newfoundland and Labrador separatists. The two leading parties are trying to hang on to a minority by pleasing Ontario and Quebec. Unlike the Martin and Harper (term 1) elections - the focus and the promises will be aimed at Central Canada.

The truth is - it's our turn - Saskatchewan - Nova Scotia - and Newfoundland and Labrador to have the equalization formula geared to us. Since the inception of the equation - Quebec - has been the needy province and the formula demonstrates that.

Ontarians should close their eyes - take a gulp - and whisper - Quebec is a welfare province. They are getting more than us - and they still want more - that's not fair.
Ontarians keep looking further east and west to find the subjects for their pompous ridicule.

Listen guys and gals - at least Newfoundland and Labrador keeps saying we want to be a net contributor to the equalization formula. (We already are net contributors in every other way) When was the last time you heard Jean Charest say "we want to be a have province?" When was the last time you heard Quebec say in just two or three years we will be on the "have" side?

Yet Quebecers have no trouble in believing that they can separate and go it alone. Geez on that basis alone - Newfoundland and Labrador should do it without a hitch.

Quebec always gets the lions share of equalization - and that increased even more after the Harper equalization fiasco.

It is time the formula changed to reflect other economic factors and it is time that non-renewable resource revenues were removed. If that happened both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador could be net contributors to the equation for the foreseeable future and perhaps even Nova Scotia. Not doing this jeopardizes the long-term economic health of our "sharing" system and eliminates the possibility for provinces such as ours.

Then again if we left the Central Canadian federation - we'd be laughing all the way to the bank.