Political Discussion - "on-topic & unmoderated"Rated PG13, unmoderated but threads must stay on topic - that means you can flame each other all you want as long as it's legal
So they're making across the board cuts that they promised in the election and the people voted for. I don't understand how a cut can be automatically equated with "slashing and burning." Cuts aren't necessarily bad things.
My expressions might seem like hyperbole to you, but someone who is affected by the cuts might disagree (a billion here, a billion there, peanuts to some I suppose). Also, I don't know if people necessarily voted for cuts, elections aren't fought on single issues. Someone might not have liked Iggy and decided to vote for Harper. Some people might vote Conservative on religious grounds and hold their nose on the economics. Many voted for Jack in Quebec, I doubt most read the party platform. Some Ontario Liberals might have switched to Harper for fear of the Orange Crush; doesn't mean they like everything the CPC are doing now.
My expressions might seem like hyperbole to you, but someone who is affected by the cuts might disagree (a billion here, a billion there, peanuts to some I suppose). Also, I don't know if people necessarily voted for cuts, elections aren't fought on single issues. Someone might not have liked Iggy and decided to vote for Harper. Some people might vote Conservative on religious grounds and hold their nose on the economics. Many voted for Jack in Quebec, I doubt most read the party platform. Some Ontario Liberals might have switched to Harper for fear of the Orange Crush; doesn't mean they like everything the CPC are doing now.
There is no doubt that some people are going to be negatively affected by the cuts, but that's the nature of the beast. That doesn't mean that the cuts shouldn't happen.
I agree that people vote for different parties for different reasons, but spending cuts were one of the main aspects of the Tory platform. If people voted for the Conservatives, but are steadfast against the cuts then that's their own fault for voting blind. The Conservatives campaigned on the cuts, and they recieved a majority mandate. It's now their responsibilty to put the platform they campaigned on into practice.
There is no doubt that some people are going to be negatively affected by the cuts, but that's the nature of the beast. That doesn't mean that the cuts shouldn't happen.
Should be interesting to see if the people who are negatively affected by these cuts - many of whom are seniors and people who are more conservative anyway - will end up turning on the CPC after this passes.
Haha I love this part of the article.
NDP MP Pat Martin, known for not holding back his views, said Boisvenu's comments were "appalling."
"You stuff the Senate full of hacks and flaks and Tory idiots and you're going to get some stupid comments," he said. "Whoever put him there should apologize on his behalf if he's too stupid to apologize himself."
Haha I love this part of the article.
NDP MP Pat Martin, known for not holding back his views, said Boisvenu's comments were "appalling."
"You stuff the Senate full of hacks and flaks and Tory idiots and you're going to get some stupid comments," he said. "Whoever put him there should apologize on his behalf if he's too stupid to apologize himself."
Sorry I don't know how to quote properly.
Simply retarded.
If you believe this privately, you are a moron. If you're a public figure and make your moronic beliefs public, you're on another level. This Senator is on another level.
If you believe this privately, you are a moron. If you're a public figure and make your moronic beliefs public, you're on another level. This Senator is on another level.
It is simply proof that there are morons in all walks of life.
And in this case he is also advocating committing a crime as assisting a suicide is an offense under the Criminal Code per section 241(b):
241. Every one who … aids or abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.
However in this case Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu clearly has a biased view on this matter based on personal experience. He is the founding president of the Murdered or Missing Persons’ Families Association. He established the group after his 27-year-old daughter, Julie, was abducted, r@ped and murdered by a repeat offender in 2002.
The funny things is that there would be a significant portion of the population who have both said and think something similar.
Which brings to mind the pearl of wisdom from my guru and spiritual mentor, the later George Carlin:
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
I think we can forgive him for being a little nuts he has lost 2 daughters
For holding those views, one can certainly sympathize and forgive him. However one has to consider whether this makes him suitable for the chamber of sober second thoughts.
For holding those views, one can certainly sympathize and forgive him. However one has to consider whether this makes him suitable for the chamber of sober second thoughts.
He belongs to the same party as Rob Anders. Those are sober second thoughts...
Well, you can sympathize with the death of his daughter. I wouldn't call for his dismissal from the Senate but he should be moved from the Senate committee studying the omnibus Crime Bill. His expertise is as a past Director of Recreation, Game and Fisheries, move him to a committee studying parks and recreation in the 21st century instead of criminal punishment where he obviously has a chip on his shoulder. His partisan appointment to the Senate was probably more in line as an activist on victim's issues (after his daughter's death); we've just had a snippet or taste of his views that aren't necessarily sober second thought. He could always appear before the Crime committee to express his views as an interested observer, but he has basically injured himself as an objective lawmaker on this file.
I would call cutting a fifth of the Ministry of Environment and slashing StatsCanada budget as a completely irrational place to cut spending.
I have no problem with cutting certain programs, I am a fiscal conservative; however, significantly cutting programs and departments that focus on attaining invaluable information completely undermines basing policies on information and knowledge.
But this is par for the course with the Tories, they make policies based off ideology, not information and substantiated reason. Tories completely lack pragmatist skills.
Things seem to be a little bumpy at StatsCan.
From earlier today:
Quote:
Statistics Canada’s chief economic analyst has quit, citing concerns that internal debate at the agency is being stymied.
Mr. Cross is concerned that the free exchange of ideas at the agency is diminishing, and that internal dissent is no longer being tolerated by senior managers – particularly when it comes to discussions about the 2011 census and new national household survey.
Another irrational thing to do is increase spending for more prisons.
I can't agree on this point. Even if you're not a supporter of a crime and punishment agenda, the new prisons are necessary to avoid overcrowding with the current rates of incarceration. What we need is to ease the laws INRE soft drugs rather harden them.
I can't agree on this point. Even if you're not a supporter of a crime and punishment agenda, the new prisons are necessary to avoid overcrowding with the current rates of incarceration. What we need is to ease the laws INRE soft drugs rather harden them.
So soften drug laws and as a result send fewer people to prison, but still build more prisons?
Which brings to mind the pearl of wisdom from my guru and spiritual mentor, the later George Carlin:
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
So soften drug laws and as a result send fewer people to prison, but still build more prisons?
Yes, I was kind of rushed writing the response because the Seabus was coming and I had to leave my WiFi hotspot.
If we want to avoid overcrowding, we do need more prisons. That is a fact that cannot be denied. Softening drug laws is the only way to reduce prison sentences. Though, I support prison sentences for repeat offenders of less severe crimes such as shoplifting, so in my perfect world we would need more prisons even with legalization of marijuana and the decriminalization of many other drugs.
Although the older jails need to be torn down and replaced, most of us gather the CPC is doing this to increase the numbers and not to improve living conditions. In fact when explaining the issue to their base, CPC politicians are quick with the prepared talking point to assure their partisans they won't, they aren't building Holiday Inns, and punishment and the misery index is still high on the totem pole.
It's one thing to be a conservative news organization. It's a whole other thing to be a Conservative news organization. Since its infamous beginnings, Sun News has basically been a mouthpiece of the Conservative Party.
Old fashioned retail politics. High on PR, low on everything else.
It's one thing to use CPC party or campaign officials for PR, it's another to use government public servants though.
As for Sun and the CPC, it's a wonderful symbiotic relationship between two soul siblings. CPC gets favorable news clips and the Sun's Peladeau gets favorable rulings from the party and CRTC for his digital empire. Grease the wheels bros.
It's one thing to be a conservative news organization. It's a whole other thing to be a Conservative news organization. Since its infamous beginnings, Sun News has basically been a mouthpiece of the Conservative Party.
Why did they want the photo op in the first place?
It's also kind of sad that the federal government employees would bow to a Sun News request as silly as that. "Hey guys pretend to be new Canadians because most new Canadians have better things to do than come to our office for a photo-op"... "Ok".
Why did they want the photo op in the first place?
It's also kind of sad that the federal government employees would bow to a Sun News request as silly as that. "Hey guys pretend to be new Canadians because most new Canadians have better things to do than come to our office for a photo-op"... "Ok".
Reading between the lines, it seems like it was for some pro-immigration agenda (or to make look like the CPC had one?).
Also, they were "new" Canadians, but they had taken the official oath a few months before. They were "recalled" to do a "reaffirmation" ceremony, and pretended it was the original.
Quote:
Mr. Kenney’s office wound up asking the department to organize a simple reaffirmation ceremony instead, a legitimate event where citizens can restate their citizenship oath.
