Ok, it's official, someone found Marc Emery's stash. A grocery tax with the proceeds directed to farmers? What are they smoking? The last thing we need in Canada is more taxes or spending for that matter. How about a reduction in taxes, eliminate provincial trade barriers and encourage the Doha round of talks?
OTTAWA - Canadians should be forced to pay a new tax on groceries to help cash-strapped farmers struggling to make ends meet, according to a new report on sustainable agriculture.
Immigration rules should also change so newcomers to Canada are encouraged to live in isolated, rural areas, much like government policies a century ago, according to a report from the Agricultural Institute of Canada.
You can find the report on the Agricultural Institute's website. It mentions that the report was commissioned to generate discussion and debate. Well - I'd say they succeeded.
In light of your attempts to reduce the "democratic deficit" we request that the estimated $9 billion currently contained in government foundations be opened to the scrutiny of the auditor general.
Many of you may have seen the CPC Action Centre appearing on blogs and websites recently. Below is the code so you can add the Action Centre to your blog or site. It's a simple cut and paste.
Many people don't think they have the time to get actively involved in campaigns. Little things like the Action Centre, Letter Writing campaigns etc, are easy ways to get involved and help make a difference.
This is pretty rich coming from Dion as a Liberal. Notwithstanding the fact that they are directly responsible for the recent surge of the BQ in Quebec, a Quebec Liberal certainly shouldn't be lecturing the rest of Canadians on this issue. The Liberals and BQ are mutual parasites in Quebec, feeding off each other. The Liberals wrap themselves in the flag and campaign as the only federalist party capable of holding Canada together, while the BQ campaign as the only party to stand up for Quebec. Without each other, both parties would be in serious trouble in Quebec. If Mario Dumont ever decides to start running ADQ candidates federally, there would be some interesting results in Quebec.
My question for Dion, if you believe in a fairer Canada, why won't the federal government give New Brunswick the same childcare deal that it just signed with Quebec? The feds have been trashing Lord for weeks now for failing to sign a deal under their terms. Then this, and Premier Lord's response. Who's fueling unity issues?
...If the Canadian political class continues to portray Canada as a fragile country, a loose union, always close to disintegration at the first difficulty, how can we hope that the separatist debate will end in Quebec? There will always be some disagreement down the road, some source of frustration that the separatist movement will describe as the "new" proof that Canada does not work. And what will be the counterargument? To find an agreement that proves Canada works — at least until the next disagreement? That is a never-ending cycle
One of the worst examples that I have seen about how separatism is trivialized occurred during the last federal election when I discovered that some NDP candidates in Quebec were acknowledged separatists. Today, I ask NDP leader Jack Layton to declare that from now on a commitment to Canadian unity is a sine qua non condition to be an NDP candidate. This is the minimal respect a national leader owes to Canada.
Blogging Party of Canada Bloggers unite, it's our country, lets use the best of the top three parties agendas to create our own, truly Canadian agenda. Check under the "Master Plan" button for the latest debates and The Master Plan......
BTW, I think he's looking for some pumpkin pics for some strange reason. Carved of course.
Coming from an area that is starting to rival the Niagara region for it's wineries, this decision is devastating. The local wineries are a large part of the regional economy from both a jobs and tourism perspective. It's bad enough having to fight Mother Nature, as most agricultural operations do, but to square off with the McGinty Liberals - good luck.
These are just some of the wineries in the Essex County region - Pelee Island Winery, D'Angelo Estate Winery, Colio Estate Wines, Sanson Estate Winery, Viewpointe Estate Winery, Erie Shore Vineyards, Wagner Estate Winery, Smith & Wilson Estate Wines, Aleksander Estate Winery and Muscedere Vineyards.
Industrial assessment - that's just ridiculous. Nothing more than a tax grab for cash starved municipalities. By reversing the tribunal ruling McGinty has delivered more money to the municipalities without having to actually give any money from the province. A win/win as far as he's concerned - until the wineries start going out of business.
Are estate wineries farms or industries? The Ontario government doesn't seem to know.
In June, the province's Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal ruled that the winemaking area of the tiny but prestigious Thirteenth Street Winery near Jordan Station should be considered a farm building for tax purposes. The decision overturned the long-standing policy of assessing winery buildings at the much higher industrial rate -- despite the fact that the Assessment Act granted farm status to any building "used to manufacture wine from grapes grown on the farm lands the building is located on."
Now, in a sudden decision that has left Niagara winemakers reeling, Ontario's Finance Ministry has overruled the tribunal charged with protecting the province's agricultural resources, and rewritten the disputed regulation to make the bucolic wineries industrial again.
"Frankly, it's abhorrent," says Norm Beale, the owner of Peninsula Ridge Winery and chairman of the Wine Council of Ontario. "The province changed the regulation during the parliamentary recess and behind closed doors, with no consultation or debate. I'm amazed they think they can get away with it -- this is the behaviour you'd expect of a Third World country."
Just a bump for this one that I blogged about this morning. As of 7:30 pm the count stands at 344. Drop by and sign. I guess maybe a 1000 was a little optimistic! How about 500?
Craig @ Conservative Life needs a hand with his online petition. As of 7:15 am there's 315 signatures. Let's see if we can hit 1000 by the end of the weekend.
In light of your attempts to reduce the "democratic deficit" we request that the estimated $9 billion currently contained in government foundations be opened to the scrutiny of the auditor general.
Tribute to the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel (en francais)
Great spread in the Windsor Star today on the history of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel. The tunnel celebrates 75 years on Tuesday. Fred Martin, a "$25-a-week Salvation Army captain" with vision and determination was the driving force behind it's construction.
We could sure use someone like him today. At the rate we're going, we'll be lucky if the new border crossing is built in the NEXT 75 years - especially if we have to wait for any help from supposed home town boy Paul Martin.
Fred W. Martin, a $25-a-week Salvation Army captain "inspired by God" to build the Windsor-Detroit tunnel, stood proudly before a cheering crowd along the riverfront on a crisp November day in 1930.
The tall, imposing man was hailed during the tunnel's opening ceremony as the driving force behind a project few dreamed would happen.
For Martin, the construction of the world's first international underwater tunnel was the crowning glory of a career that began in an Alberta pool hall and ended four years after the tunnel was built when he died penniless and largely forgotten.
Craig @ Conservative Life needs a hand with his online petition. As of 7:15 am there's 315 signatures. Let's see if we can hit 1000 by the end of the weekend.
In light of your attempts to reduce the "democratic deficit" we request that the estimated $9 billion currently contained in government foundations be opened to the scrutiny of the auditor general.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Edit: It certainly didn't take long for the moonbats to come out. #319 on the petition - 319. Shanda Deziel creates fake stories Maclean's is supposed to report news, not create it out of a worthless online petition that had been forgotten by the right-wing wacko that created it. Want a story? Write about the bigotry openly displayed on Free Dominion by Conservative Party riding execs.
Just a note to Mr. 319 - if you want to play duelling posts on internet forums as a basis for judging a party - I've got plenty of Babble baubles for you.
Bioniche certainly seems to get around. You can't help but look at a report(pg 32) these days and not find a mention.
From the looks of things, the Volcker Inquiry didn't find anything untoward in Bioniche's dealings with Iraq, but they seem to pop up in some strange places.
...If I were calling for a minister's resignation because he was slow to respond to an issue, wouldn't I prefer that the issue in question be one that my own party hadn't ignored until last week?
A little research was in order. Listed below are various releases, statements and questions. I only included the ones that specifically mentioned water conditions on reserves. There are many others that deal with infrastructure and general deplorable conditions on reserves and the Liberal's inaction.
From Windsor-West NDP MP Brian Masse's recent householder:
The Liberal government wants to give another corporate tax cut to, among others, oil and gas companies during this time of record profits and high prices at the pump.
Yes, I support tax cuts for oil and gas companies
No, I do not support tax cuts for oil and gas companies, invest my money in:
Windsor's Border
A national auto policy
Healthcare
The environment
Education
Maybe if you had had the courage of your own convictions to stand up for Windsor in the last budget vote we would already have a solution for the border. Instead, you and your NDP cohort Joe Comartin decided to toe the party line and vote for the Jack Pack agenda.
With each passing day more and more Windsorites are realizing that voting for a protest party like the NDP get you exactly that - lots of protest and no action.
Brian Masse stated on a local radio interview that they have been trying in vain to get the Liberals to listen to them - "they just don't listen to us".
Why would they? They just have to negotiate with Jack and Buzz. After that, everyone will fall right in line like good Jack Packers should.
Jack Layton has a problem his NDP predecessors had no more luck solving. Layton, the look-at-me leader of a party no one is looking at, needs to bring down soon a Liberal government he also desperately needs to make work for as long as possible.
That's the NDP dilemma. It's political insanity to let Paul Martin time the coming election to Liberal advantage. But the best and perhaps only way for Layton's party to improve its prospects is to convince voters that minority government is good government.
If nothing else, that helps explain some of this week's political theatre. Attempting to repeat his spring success of wringing from Martin $4.6 billion for NDP priorities, Layton is threatening to end this Parliament unless Liberals stem the rising tide of private health care.
Up to a point, that's good stuff for an earnest party struggling for visibility. In linking his continued support to a policy important to NDP rank-and-file as well as to most Canadians, Layton is maximizing his limited influence.
In a better place, results would be better. Voters would reasonably conclude the real small-l liberal party is the NDP and in the next election would endorse it with more seats and clout.
But this is Ottawa and history suggests the future is about to unfold like the past. Snuggled up close to Liberals, Layton's NDP is in danger of being hugged to death.
Wednesday night is my only chance for a few hours off to spend with friends, but I didn't want to disappoint this week and not have a video for Thursday morning. Thankfully, fellow BT blogger Stephen Taylor came up with one of his own from Wednesday's question period.
Now here's a Letter to the Editor for you! (en francais)
The early bird gets the worm. The election campaign started last May and continues today. Don't wait till the writ drops to start voicing your opinion. Start today and write often. Let your voice be heard.
Here's a great example from today's Windsor Star.
Letter to the Editor
Masse and Comartin better dust off resumes Windsor Star Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Re: The Paul Martin Jr. Expressway. Brian Masse and Joe Comartin voted to prop up the Liberals. Joe Comartin said, previous to his confidence vote, that the Liberal government was bordering on criminality. Brian Masse, in his recent letter to the editor, said that the Liberals were supposed to have an auto strategy in place by the end of November 2004.
Eddie Francis and others saw the writing on the wall; the federal Liberal government was going to ram the nine-point plan down our collective throats. But Brian Masse and Joe Comartin both voted to prop up the Liberals in May of this year.
Brian Masse and Joe Comartin were elected to represent the people of Windsor and Windsor-Tecumseh respectfully, not to toe the NDP line.
Brian Masse is quick to point out that he sent a letter to Industry Minister David Emerson about the potential loss of the Ford casting plant. They both knew Windsor was in big economic trouble and yet they voted to prop up this tired, old, visionless government.
Gord Henderson tells us to make no mistake. Rape is not too strong a term to describe what the feds have in mind for Windsor with their intention to have the E.C. Row, our main crosstown commuter route, transformed into a mobile parking lot, to be violated by tens of thousands of diesel-belching 18-wheelers rumbling between Montreal and Manzanilla.
It was up to Brian and Joe to stop this nightmare from even having a chance of happening. They voted for and with the Liberals and not for the people they represent.
It's time for someone to stand up for Windsor and Essex County. Brian and Joe, it's time to blow the dust off and touch up those resumes. The election is around the corner.
Now here's a situtation where the Government could have deployed the CF's DART team to effective use. Instead, we have deployed DART to Pakistan at great expense when most NGO's claim the aid could be provided by them at a fraction of the cost, over a longer term.
Boil water advisories for over two years? A treatment plant built downstream from a sewage lagoon? Opposition MPs have been calling for action on this issue for weeks now in the House of Commons. The Liberal response? Bluster and rhetoric.
For this situation to develop the way it has is almost unbelievable. For it to have reached this crisis point is inexcusable.
October 25, 2005 TORONTO -- More than half the people living on a remote northern Ontario reserve where the threat of contaminated water has been a daily fact of life will be evacuated, Ontario's minister for aboriginal affairs said Tuesday.
David Ramsay said the province plans to fly roughly 1,000 of the Kashechewan First Nation's 1,900 residents off the reserve on the western shores of James Bay starting late Wednesday.
"It is a medical emergency so these people really need to be removed," Ramsay said after a two-hour meeting with native leaders and Premier Dalton McGuinty.
The reserve, 450 kilometres north of Timmins, Ont., has had chronic problems with its local water treatment plant and is currently struggling to deal with a water supply that has been laced with potentially deadly E. coli.
Roughly half of the reserve's residents are also suffering from skin infections such as scabies and impetigo -- conditions that are exacerbated by the high levels of chlorine being used to disinfect the water.
The quote on the content page of the Information Commissioner's report could serve as the definition of Paul Martin's Liberal government. "The struggle for information is, first and last, a struggle for accountability"
Under Paul Martin's tenure, the Privy Council Office has gone from a grade of C to F in responding to Access to Information requests. Just another case where Paul Martin's actions or inaction, speak louder than words.
"My basic view in terms of government is complete openness and transparency. I have followed that right from the very beginning." (Paul Martin Press Conference, January 28, 2004)
Annual Report Information Commissioner 2004-2005
"The struggle for information is, first and last, a struggle for accountability"
Jeremy Pope, "Access to Information: Whose Right and Whose Information" In Global Corruption Report 2003 at p. 8
F = Red Alert " So many major deficiencies that a significant departmental effort is required to deal with their resolution or many major persistent deficiences that have not been dealt with over the years. "
We've all seen those funny little flash games floating around the net, you know, the ones you NEVER play at work, only at home. One of my favourites has always been the Penguin Swing.
In case anyone hasn't noticed, I have been playing with videos over the last month or so, and have found them to be very effective. Windows Movie Maker is a great little tool.
Photoshop, Java and Powerpoint are other avenues for people to express themselves.
The Challenge: create something with a Conservative political theme. Let your imagination run wild! It can be a video, game, Powerpoint presentation, Photoshop picture etc. Any medium with the goal that it can be easily hosted online and distributed via email. Content need not be in English. Any language is acceptable and is encouraged. (please provide a translation for non-English content)
The Prize: $100.00 (If anyone else would like to sponsor the contest with either a cash prize or donated goods please drop me a line. I'd like to add individual category prizes along with an overall prize)
The Rules: 1. Open to anyone 2. Submissions are to be sent to bluebloggingsoapbox@gmail.com 3. Purpose of the contest is to either highlight CPC policies or to expose shortcomings of the other parties.
I will make all submitted material available online for everyone to view. Winners will be determined by the votes of Bloggingtories. (to be eligible to vote, you must be a member of the Bloggingtories at contest close) Contest will close Monday January 30th at 12 noon EST. Voting will take place over the course of the week and the winner will be announced on Monday, February 6th.
Spread the word. Post messages about this contest on other blogs and forums. Let your friends and family know. Attending a CPC board meeting in the next while? Do you have a local EDA newsletter or website? I'd really like to achieve a wide distribution to encourage submissions from all.
Saturday Morning Funnies Repeated...(Video) (en francais)
Normally I don't do the video thing on Saturday/Sunday, but this one just felt right for Saturday. That being said, I didn't want to disappoint all the Monday morning regulars.
It just wouldn't be Saturday morning without a visit from Bugs and all our friends in the Looney Tunes family...
Looney Liberal Tunes (12.3 mb right click and choose "Save target as..." to download)
Take Action!
Write a letter to the Editor of your local paper. Ask questions about the Liberal's mismanagement of $2.8 billion dollars of your tax money. Ask about the free ride for lobbyist friends of the government.
Election speculation of a different sort (en francais)
I'll put my tinfoil hat on for this post. A little "what if" ing here.
The actions of Paul Martin over the last year have shown us he would do virtually anything to maintain power. Billions in spending increases, Belinda's cabinet post, troops to Darfur to try and buy Kilgour's vote, buying off Jack Layton and the list goes on.
As it stands now, Martin faces going into the election carrying the baggage of Sponsorship, Dingwall and whatever else emerges between now and then. At best, he will emerge with another minority government. That is not acceptable. Anything less than a majority will spell the end of Martin as leader of the Liberal party. For a party used to winning, they'll not suffer long with a two time loser.
With all the above taken into account, I believe Paul Martin would sell his soul, or anyone else's to remain Prime Minister. So, starting from that premise...
* Paul Martin and Jack Layton are conducting talks on Health Care. A day or two after the first Gomery report has been issued, they'll emerge with a "new" plan to save that venerable Canadian institution. Proof positive that only the NDP and Liberals are in Ottawa to "make government work" Much back-slapping and press-releasing will result.
* Health care talks having gone so well, Martin and Layton will continue to explore cooperation on other issues.
* Christmas break and a few well placed leaks
* Late January, early February Martin and Layton will once again emerge to announce they have forged a new deal that will change the face of Canadian politics and launch a new era of democracy in Canada. There are many forms this may take, but I'll give you one.
* A five year plan with a fixed election date. Liberals/NDP will not run candidates against sitting MPs of the opposite party or in marginal ridings for each party. A formula of sorts will be drafted to take care of the nitty gritty. The Liberals would have to accept the NDP's Kyoto plan, a few other concessions, a commitment to proportional representation within the five years and 1/3 of the cabinet being NDP. The NDP would have to live with some corporate tax cuts, a few law and order morsels and five more years of Paul Martin. End result would most likely be an NDP/Liberal coalition majority government.
* After five years, an election based on proportional terms.
Ok, after all that my head hurts so I have to take off the tinfoil. Feel free to borrow the hat, jump in and have some fun. It's Monday.
Join with Canadians in saying Thank You to our brave men and women fighting for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan. Our security depends on their courage.
Please take a minute to buy a holiday gift for our soldiers in Afghanistan. You can make a secure online donation or call 1-877-383-8320. You will receive a tax receipt for your donation.
You can also join the many students and adults who are sending a thank-you note to our troops for building democracy in Afghanistan and security here at home.
Educators interested in joining the many schools participating in this project are invited to contact us for more information and details.
I've been in a bit of a blogging funk recently. Not that nothing's going on - things certainly are - but that I'm feeling a little guilty about not really getting into the political stuff. I am, after all, a member of the Blogging Tories, and that membership brings me benefits like a really great Google ranking. But I'm not really doing my part in keeping up with the great content provided by most of the Blogging Tories.
I guess I've discovered that I like reading political blogs a heck of a lot more than I like trying to be one, though I still have something I want to say from time to time.
I know there are certain members in the Blogging Tories who would rather apply strict standards about the frequency and content of entries for admission to the group, but I know there are also some who, like me, rarely touch on political subjects.
So what place is there on the blogroll for people who are definite supporters, but perhaps not the most vocal supporters? I'd like to hear thoughts from other members of the Blogging Tories. Honesty is encouraged.
Drop in, say hello and let Tamara know what you think.
For those that missed the dinner, here is the video. When I have time later on this morning evening, (long night at work last night - time for bed) I will edit the file into individual segments for download.
(Video had to be removed due to bandwidth issues - I'm almost out! Didn't expect the file to be quite as popular as it was. All of the performances are now available through the CTV link. )
This is an .asf file - it will play in Windows Media Player. The clips I'll post later will be .wmv files.
CTV has posted clips - So far 2 clips on Paul Martin's bit, and one on the Governor-General's.
This is so sad, especially when there are designated driving services available to get your car home. Ottawa has one. So does Windsor (Cruise Control), London, (Keys Please) and Oshawa (Keys to Us).
(PS. If anyone has the link for Ottawa's dd service, please email me so I can amend the post. I had it at one time but seem to have misplaced it.)
OTTAWA (CP) - In a corner of Senator Marjory LeBreton's office sits an arrangement of fresh white roses, daisies and lilies from Brian and Mila Mulroney.
The card is marked: "The sun will shine again."
The sun is obscured by a tragedy for LeBreton that seems to have no end.
The story is of unspeakable loss, anger, sorrow and bizarre coincidence that has shattered relationships between intertwined blue-blooded political families which will likely never heal.
LeBreton, who worked as Mulroney's appointments secretary, lost a daughter and grandson nearly 10 years ago to a drunk driver named Matt Brownlee.
Brownlee is a nephew of Bonnie Brownlee and Bill Fox, the husband and wife team who worked as press secretaries for former prime minister Mulroney and his wife, Mila.
Matt Brownlee, who served seven years for drunk driving causing the deaths of Linda LeBreton-Holmes and her 12-year-old son, Brian, in suburban Ottawa was again charged this month with drunk driving and driving without a licence.
The new charges against Brownlee, 33, have not been proven in a court of law but have re-opened old emotional wounds.
"I was stunned at the news," said the Conservative senator known for fierce loyalty to Mulroney and being the former prime minister's eyes and ears in Ottawa.
That crunching noise you heard the other morning wasn’t just the sound of your kids chowing down on their cereal. It was the sound of some senior New Democrats eating their words as it came to light that they bend the rules when it comes to raising money for their party.
Manitoba’s New Democratic Party has been accused by the provincial Tories and Liberals of cheating the NDP’s own election finance law that bans union and corporate donations. As NDP officials apparently told Elections Manitoba Monday and admitted to the Winnipeg Free Press later in the week, unions are collecting money from their members on behalf of the NDP and cutting them a single cheque, a process known as bundling.
Although party secretary Wayne Copeland says the practice is rare — he said it amounted to only $9,000 of the $739,531 the party raised in 2004 — it’s still not cricket.
It just wouldn't be Saturday morning without a visit from Bugs and all our friends in the Looney Tunes family...
Looney Liberal Tunes (12.3 mb right click and choose "Save target as..." to download)
Take Action!
Write a letter to the Editor of your local paper. Ask questions about the Liberal's mismanagement of $2.8 billion dollars of your tax money. Ask about the free ride for lobbyist friends of the government.
It will be interesting to see the NDP webmaster's choice of action. Do they cheat again and add another 900 votes or do they just take down the poll and admit defeat.
■ The bad habits of the decade-old multi-billion dollar TPC began in 1996 are now claimed to be all in the past. But as a watchdog on all things TPC, I doubt it.
Industry Canada corporate funding branch to attract lobbyists has not been fixed, despite the spin cycle
The bad habits of the decade-old multibillion dollar Technical Partnerships Canada (TPC) began in 1996 are now claimed to be all in the past.That’s what the latest Industry Canada Minister, David Emerson, would have us believe. But as a watchdog on all things TPC, I doubt it.
The number one promise by the Minister in the “new”TTP (Transformation Technologies Program) is that all lobbyists will be better behaved and will all register.As well, not one of them should get direct tax-paid commissions or other “service”or “success”fees from companies they represent winning federal monies. Not to register as a lobbyist is a criminal offence and the TPC rules state that companies agreed to forbid contingency fees.
Still, for most of the lobbyists who did follow TTP rules, millions were made in going after the $2.7-billion pie for “corporate research innovations.” That will continue, but, nowhere are all those lobbyists’ earnings required to be registered.
The Industry Minister defends the use of lobbyists as if government personnel are not good enough to properly explain and shepherd through company applications.
So far, too, the winning companies using unregistered lobbyists charging contingency fees are quite content to quietly pay back Ottawa that hundreds of thousands of dollars portion of what they paid out.
Those lobbyists publicly identified as being under investigation at this point are Neelam Makhija, of NJM Initiatives Inc., and David Dingwall and his Wallding International.
So lobbyists minus any improper dealings can expect more, not less work as TTP expands federal corporate grant-giving as approved by the Martin Cabinet. And Industry Minister Emerson still is in charge of the federal administration of Canada’s weak lobbyists’ regulation rules.
The number two promise made is for a more accountable administration of the “enhanced”Industry Canada corporate research development program.
How is this to be so, for instance,when the junior bureaucrats handling the B.C.- based companies that allegedly won millions for which Neelam Makhija received commissions for are absolved of any wrongdoing? And why, to date, is there not more focus on more senior officials with knowledge and responsibilities or relationships with unregistered lobbyists?
Meanwhile, a few of the staff in their role as technical advisers at TPC’s sister program at the National Research Council— IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program) are being investigated about “irregularities”with business clients.The Industry Minister is responsible for both programs.
Previous Consulting and Audit Canada individual company compliance audits on TPC projects have at times questioned certain companies’ claims at job creation, royalties and use of funds received.
And heavily-censored documents indicate that many companies subsequent to signing agreements had them amended one or more times.Who benefited fromsuch amendments?
The number three promise calls for better procedures. Minister Emerson says he would set up a panel or panels of experts to assess corporate requests for public monies.
But TPC already used experts, and it’s likely some of the quality and biases of their work warrants looking into.
The underlying problem with TPC organizational procedures—that one secret draftdocument that I obtained under the Access to Information Act states—is that the application process was far from fair or rigorous.
It took me months to correct Industry Canada’s initial denial and concealment that TPC had an initial prioritization committee that looked at incoming company summary proposals. One case involved that committee’s quick review of a company’s rejected proposal that was using Makhija as a consultant, turning it into a go-ahead prospect.
Viewing bits and pieces, not stamped confidential, of the three-stage TPC ad hoc review committees of company applications hardly raised my confidence in the program’s decision-making approval process and checking procedures.That lax administration gives lobbyists a wider opening to ply their trade.
The impression left is of a sloppy program. And indeed, the Auditor General’s Office is now having a second look at the TPC program.
Number four is a promise that the new TTP (Transformation Technologies Program) program will not get into worrying about repayment of loans anymore and be more of a straight subsidy program with more funds going to help smaller companies.
Some transformation! And Ottawa reluctantly admits its recovery loan rate through repayments of only some $125.3 million up to the end of September is way off. As well, Industry Canada readily allows companies not to release their repayments or repayment schedules.
It looks like millions will never be repaid despite former industry minister Allan Rock’s belief that the TPC program would break even on its investments.
Meanwhile, the government has accepted the advice of the high-powered firm Sussex Circle, which said to turn the fuzzy repayable loan program into a money payout one. Ottawa would get no equity, royalties, or, much else.
The TPC program has been notorious at giving a disproportionate amount of funds to Central Canada and to larger firms such as Pratt and Whitney, Bombardier, Rolls-Royce and Canada Steamship Lines.
It’s yet another matter whether TPC actually worked or was responsible for bringing on new cutting-edge technologies. The same ailing aerospace/defence sector that needs shoring up will still be the biggest clientele under TTP.
Lastly, the number five promise is that TTP will be much more transparent.
Well, as someone who has sought information in the last decade on the TPC program and been regularly stalled and denied much data and has been provided with halftruths, I’m not convinced that will happen.
Nor do I expect all the past poor practices and wrongdoings will ever come out in all the audit work underway.Two recent Industry Canada-commissioned forensic auditors (Kroll Lindquist Avey, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton) do confirm that not all key decisions and transactions in the TPC program can be traced and documented.
It’s hardly an encouraging sign that the integrity of the access process won’t be further compromised when access materials sought were held back until Minister Emerson made his political announcements on TPC program changes.
And no one is saying that commercial confidentiality claims that render so much data sought secret will not remain, even if some more information is to be posted on the internet.
There is then little substantial change underway in this highly-political corporate giving program. It’s basically a case of business-as-usual for past and future corporate winners in an expanded program. That’s what industry and government bureaucrats and former ministers have wanted all along. And the more inefficiently- run the program, the better for lobbyists.
The shaky levees have been breached.
The repairs are temporary and patchy.And yes, the flood of monies will continue to flow.
For the last decade, Ottawa investigative researcher Ken Rubin has monitored the TPC program implementation and twists and turns, with various stories appearing in the media using documentation that he ferreted out. See related columns on P. 8, 37, 38. kenrubin@rogers.com The Hill Times
Contact(s): Nadeem Esmail, Senior Health Policy Analyst & Manager, Health Data Systems The Fraser Institute, Tel (604) 714-4549 Email: nadeeme@fraserinstitute.ca
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Vancouver, BC - Waiting times for medical treatment have stalled at their peak levels of about 18 weeks, according to The Fraser Institute’s 15th annual survey, Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada, released today.
The total waiting time for patients between referral from a general practitioner and treatment, averaged across all 12 specialties and 10 provinces surveyed, fell slightly this year; decreasing to 17.7 weeks in 2005 (from 17.9 weeks in 2004).
“Canadians should not be fooled into thinking that this small reduction in overall waiting is a good-news story. It is important to remember that these waiting times are the second-longest that Canadians have ever experienced and that they exist despite record levels of health spending and in spite of numerous commitments made by provincial and federal governments,” said Nadeem Esmail, senior health policy analyst at The Fraser Institute and co-author of the survey.
“Canadians should also not expect any dramatic improvement in waiting times resulting from the latest federal-provincial agreements regarding waiting lists. The long waiting times for medically necessary services are a symptom of a much greater problem: a poorly-designed health care system,” he continued.
The Fraser Institute’s annual Waiting Your Turn survey documents the extent to which queues for visits to specialists and for diagnostic and surgical procedures are being used to control health care expenses.
New element discovered - Governmentium (en francais)
The following was printed in today's Windsor Star, Letters to the Editor. I just had to share it. It's one of the best I've read in a long time
The real science of 'governmentium'
Letter
Monday, October 17, 2005
A Canadian research institution has announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science, governmentium.
It has one neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons and 111 assistant deputy neutrons for a body mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons that are further surrounded by vast quantities of sub-particles called peons. Governmentium has no electrons and is therefore inert.
Its presence can be detected, however, since it often gives off hot air and also impedes every reaction with which it comes in contact.
A tiny amount of governmentium can take a reaction that normally occurs in seconds and slow it to the point where it may take days and even weeks.
Governmentium particles do not ever weaken but seem to reorganize themselves into perpetual, shape-changing elements.
This reconstitution appears to confuse the peons who somehow - scientists are not sure how or why - are always able to regroup themselves and support the morons and governmentium.
This metamorphous actually stimulates the growth of surplus governmentium making the peons look more like overtaxed isodopes.
The peon and isodope reaction phenomenon has led to speculation that reconstituted governmentium expansion occurs more often whenever sufficient morons meet in concentration forming critical morass.
Researchers believe that in governmentium, the larger the mass, the morass you cover.
Fraser Institute - Government Failure in Canada, 2005 Report (en francais)
Kudos to the Fraser Institute's Jason Clemens, Director of Fiscal Studies and Niels Veldhuis, Senior Research Economist, authors of the latest study from the institute. Take a few minutes to download and read the report - it's worth it.
They could have called this the "History of the Liberal Party, 1992 - 2005"
Release Date: October 17, 2005
Vancouver, BC - Canadians have been shocked by the revelations of the Gomery Inquiry but these scandals will occur with predictable regularity unless government begins to prioritize and reform its activities, according to Government Failure in Canada, 2005 Report, released today by The Fraser Institute.
The study summarizes 284 cases of federal government failure, ranging from simple waste to cases of misrepresentation, based on reports from the Auditor General between 1992 and 2005.
“The sponsorship scandal is not a one-off event,” said Jason Clemens, the Institute’s Director of Fiscal Studies and co-author of the study. “We studied report after report from the Auditor General over the past fourteen years and found case after case involving waste, misrepresentation, incompetence, and program failure.”
Kinda makes you wonder what else is waiting in the wings!
WOW! The last time I did a welcome list was mid-August and it certainly looks like we've got a whole new bunch of BTs. Either I've been asleep at the switch or a whole herd has slipped under my radar in the last while.
If I've missed your name , just add your blog in the comments section and I'll edit the post. If I've put you here and you're not new - oh well, enjoy the extra hits!
Peter's Point - A Vancouver Islander's view of the rest of Canada..
Brad D. Zander - welcome to WWW.BDZANDER.CJB.NET -- proudly affiliated with WWW.BLOGGINGTORIES.CA Nice Comfy Fur - Lots of nice comfy fur in here. Come inside and stay awhile.
Persuasions - Live from Alberta! Think Right - Pretty self-explanatory....think "Right" be "Right" and stay "Right" for a "Right"ful future
James Moore - Member of Parliament for Port Moody - Westwood - Port Coquitlam
Musings of the Technical Bard - A place for me to expound on the issues of the day, including my proposals for how to FIX CANADA.
Waste Busters - A blog dedicated to expose the Liberal Government's waste and mismanagement. To report a waste or mismanagement, simply email to wastebuster@gmail.com.
Ottawa young conservatives - An Ottawa based online forum for supporters of Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party!
Fables & Foibles - David Simpson's Blog on Life, Trinity-Spadina, Cooking Writing, Conservative Party, Kensington Market, Politics, Humour, Gaming, Toronto and Canada. Now without any annoying photos of nude actresses.
PomoChristian - thoughts about faith, life and our world
For new BT members, don't forget to ping when you post to move your name up the blogroll. While you're at it, visit Canconv and add your blog to the Canadian Conversation. Visit the Canconv Help section for details on how to link your blog directly into the Canconv system.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to recruit two more people to blog - we'll give you till next month!
Blog on everyone, and once again - Welcome to the Blogging Tories!
Arabian Dissent Random rants from a 23 year old Arab-Canadian on, American, Canadian and Middle Eastern Politics. Here come the shockers: I'm a big supporter of George W. Bush and his anti-terrorism efforts. A strong believer in small-government and Reaganomics (while residing in the most left-wing location in North America, Quebec), and a supporter of the Conservative Party of Canada. Started this blog hoping to refute lefty myths on Economics, Conservatism, Terrorism, the Middle East and the US.
I've been neglecting the HAH!s of late, so it's time for another.
Many would have you believe that the CPC's recent policy announcements are nothing but gimmicks and media stunts. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The party went through a long, involved, open and democratic policy process. The policy announcements that Stephen Harper and the caucus have been making are a direct result of that process. A case in point is the party's recent announcement on Fisheries.
The Conservative Party has announced their plan to exempt the first $500,000 of the value of qualified fishing property when it is transferred within a family. This is part of the Conservative plan to stand up for the fishing communities and families who work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules.
Under the Liberal government, fishing assets are taxed as capital gains when transferred from one generation to another. This has been unfair to fishing families and communities as farmers and woodlot owners in the same situation do not receive the same treatment.
v) A Conservative Government would ensure that the current capital gains deferral available to farmers and woodlot owners when capital property is transferred to a child is extended for the commercial fishery.
This affects fisherman not only on Canada's both coasts but the thriving Great Lakes fishery as well.
Funny thing. I don't remember seeing a press release announcing this report. I know that Industry Canada is still capable of churning them out - here-here and even one right for my own backyard -here...
Even better, how about the one about the nasty telemarketers. Maybe they can join the University Lecture circuit, although it may become a little crowded over the next year.
TPC Company Profile - Summary 14 Oct (en francais)
Aeterna Laboratories - TPC funds received: $29.3 million Political Donations 1996-2004: Liberals $15,841.72
BiochemPharma Inc - TPC funds received: $80 million Political Donations 1996-2004: Liberal $155,388.59, Progessive Conservative $3723.00, Canadian Alliance Reform $5,000.00, Bloc Québécois $673.52
Ballard Power Systems-TPC funds received: $29.4 million Political Donations 1996 - 2004: Liberal $42,699.81, Canadian Alliance Reform $6400.00
Bombardier - TPC funds received: $202.9 million + $79.4 million from another Industry Canada program Political Donations 1996-2004: Liberals $782,890.87, Progressive Conservative $189,168.78, Canadian Alliance Reform $51,000.00
Neurochem Inc. - TPC funds received: $7.9 million Political Donations 1996-2004 (includes Power Corp, a part owner of Neurochem): Liberals $385,363.66, Progressive Conservative $288,022.69, Canadian Alliance Reform $75,000.00
5 companies - $349.5 Million of TPC money, plus another $79.4 from Industry Canada
1. Interesting to note that in 1999, when the TPC program was virtually shut down due to a WTO ruling, none of these 5 companies donated any money to any political party.
2. This is only 5 companies so far, out of an estimated 190 receiving TPC funds.
Conservative Resources Updated 14 Oct, 05 (en francais)
* New - Angus Reid Feeds - Our Polls & Research archive—the world’s largest free-access online public opinion database—includes surveys from every continent on topics that include approval ratings for heads of government, voting intention studies and reviews of public sentiment on a wide range of global issues. Our entries go beyond simply recording numbers and percentages. Each poll is located, translated if necessary, and accompanied by a brief analytic review.
* New - Angus Reid Feeds - Our Democracy database features the Election Tracker, a unique online publication that monitors democratic conditions around the world, by reviewing background information, assessing the latest campaign news and events, describing trends in voting intention, and reporting on the outcome of a particular ballot.
* New - Angus Reid Feeds - Our Trend Analysis section reviews shifts in worldwide public opinion, examines the effect of policy decisions on the electorate, and focuses on the upcoming challenges for leaders and parties.
* New - Many of the EDA Yearly Financial returns are now being posted online at Elections Canada. It never hurts to know what kind of resources you are facing. Using the returns you can work out a rough estimate of where each EDA stands.
*New - Conservative Campaign Academy - Fall Schedule. Contact your local EDA or Candidate if you are interested in taking part in this, or you can sign up directly online.
They've added three new courses: Handling the Media, Field Organization Poll Captains, Special & Overseas Ballot. Courses run from October thru Dec.
Take advantage of these excellent resources while there is still time.
* New - CPAC Podcasts. For all you political junkies, looks like CPAC is going to start podcastingsome of it's shows on the 27th of September. Audio only and details are sketchy, but it's a start.
BasecampHQ - Basecamp is an online project management tool. Perfect for organizing and running local campaigns. You can sign up for a free account and be up and running in minutes. The only limitation on free accounts is that they don't offer file sharing. For $9 US per month, you can get a basic account that allows you to manage 3 different projects and includes file sharing. Base Camp offers Milestones, Messaging, To-Do lists, File Sharing, Unlimited users, ICal calendar sync, secure RSS syndication, secure hosting. VERY easy to setup and use.
Bloggingtories.ca - join the Blogging Tories and let your voice be heard.
BT Blogging Tips - a few simple tips for new Blogging Tories members
Conservative Campaign Academy - run by Richard Ciano, Party Vice-President. The Campaign Training Series for all Candidates & Campaign Workers. Training sessions conducted in a state-of-the-art campiagn office located in Bradford, Ontario - 45 minutes North of Toronto on Highway 400
Conservative Party of Canada - Issues (on the main menu). Stay up-to-date and on message with the latest issue related announcements from the Conservative party.
Conservative Wallpaper - three new wallpapers. Resolutions available: 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1400x1050
How'd They Vote? - aims to be a non-partisan website which provides a variety of in-depth information on the operations of the Canadian Parliament, specifically, how our politicians vote and what they've said. We take the Hansards from the parliament website, and extract information on bills, members of parliament, votes, and speeches.
Add Canconv to your blog - Andrew has come up with some more improvements for his Canconv blogging resource. Take a few minutes and join the conversation.
CanConv 1.08b Beta - (Canadian Conversation) - a distributed conversation tracking application. Designed to track blog posts relating to Canadian topics. You can submit blogs and posts relating to Canadian topics. Subscribe to topic feeds or to all recent content. Designed by Andrew Anderson of Bound by Gravity.
Donation Research Tool - designed and hosted by Andrew at Bound by Gravity. Elections Canada seems to have downgraded some of their search capabilities, so into the breach comes Andrew with this great little tool. It even works faster than the EC search - go figure!
Add French Translation to Your Blog - code available for Blogger and MT. If anyone has come up with the code for any other blogging platform - drop me a line.
Google News RSS Feeds - use the power of Google to create custom RSS feeds. Helps you keep an eye on specific topics, keywords. For eg, I have created feeds for Harper, Martin and Layton, Conservative, Liberal and NDP. Helps catch some interesting articles, at times.
Info-Syn - Info-Syn is designed for a quick skim of whatever was published in the last little while. Check out the 'Canadian Bullet - Canada's Top Political blogs at a glance.
The establishment of a research base for the study of online politics, especially with respect to American campaigns and elections.
The design, testing, refinement, and promotion of appropriate standards of practice for the conduct of online campaigning.
The creation and public promotion of an online public space where good campaign practices and democratic values may thrive.
JustBlogit - great little Firefox ad-on. Gives you right-click blogging capability. Has 5 custom spots available. I have one programmed so that I can easily add posts from peoples blogs who don't have a Canconv button added. Right click, copy permalink, Right Click - add To Canconv. Very easy to use.
Babelfish - Alta Vista's site translation tool. LocalVictory.com - a virtual treasure trove of election related articles and advice. Make sure you sign up for the newsletter while you're there.
Mambo - Mambo is one of the most powerful Open Source Content Management Systems on the planet. It is used all over the world for everything from simple websites to complex corporate applications. Mambo is easy to install, simple to manage, and reliable. For CDN political examples of Mambo see VoteRick.com and RahimJaffer.com . Check out MamboForge.net for hundreds of components and modules that you can add to a Mambo installation to extend it's capabilities. A very robust and easy to use product. Newspaper Listing - from Neale News. If you've got a letter to the editor just bursting to get out, head on over here and let it loose. Make sure you take a look at the Letter Writing Style Guide before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. (Microsoft Word format)
Radio Listing - from Neale News. Give those radio hosts a piece of your mind. (just a piece, mind you, don't give it all away!) Check out the Call In Guide to prepare yourself for the show. (Microsoft Word format)
The head of Ballard Power Systems Inc. has unexpectedly left the company, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the money-burning fuel-cell maker.
Dennis Campbell has left Ballard effective immediately, barely three years after he was recruited from the United States as a leader who could supposedly transform it from concept company to commercial producer.
“The board's decision was that this was the right time for a leadership change,” Ballard chairman John Sheridan, who is to fill in as interim CEO, said Thursday. The search for a replacement will likely take six to eight months, he said.
Reached at home in West Vancouver, Mr. Campbell, 57, acknowledged his exit was the board's idea, but said the timing was also right from his perspective. “I want to do something more challenging that fits with my aspirations,” he said.
“So I'm eager to do that, and eager to get back to the States,” Mr. Campbell said.
Ballard's shares, which have fallen from more than $200 apiece since 1999, dropped on the news.
I've been wondering if Ford might drop their shares in Ballard as part of their North American restructuring. Daimler Chrysler is coming out of this year in pretty good shape and well positioned for the future. Hopefully, that bodes well for Windsor.
I couldn't find any details on Bombardier listed in any of TPC's annual reports. The TPC funding numbers listed below were taken from the various Lobbyist Registration forms.
Bombardier Funding from Industry Canada INDUSTRY CANADA - DIPP $$79, 379,000 1998/01/31 (DIPP = Defence Industries Productivity Program - a sunsetted program)
1996 - $85,076.47 Liberal Party 1997 - $86,069.28 Liberal Party 1998 - $76,584.21 Liberal Party 1998 - $10,000.00 Liberal Party 1999 - 0 2000 - $100,502.68 Liberal Party 2001 - $142,503.80 Liberal Party 2002 - $142,359.89 Liberal Party 2003 - $139,795.22 Liberal Party
1996 - $25,223.12 Progressive Conservative Party 1997 - $37,089.60 Progressive Conservative Party 1998 - $35,000.00 Progressive Conservative Party 1999 - 0 2000 - $2,000.00 Progressive Conservative Party 2000 - $25,000.00 Progressive Conservative Party 2001 - $25,918.10 Progressive Conservative Party 2002 - $25,693.06 Progressive Conservative Party 2003 - $13,244.90 Progressive Conservative Party
1998 - $4,080.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party 1999 - 0 2000 - $40,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party 2001 - 0 2002 - 0 2003 - $7,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party
From the 1999 - 2000 Annual Report NEUROCHEM INC. Developing an effective treatment for the estimated 14.5 million North Americans currently afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease is the focus of clinical trials being conducted by Neurochem Inc. of Saint-Laurent, Quebec. Neurochem’s therapeutic drug aims to prevent and arrest the brain cell death that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. If successful, this drug could considerably reduce the number of people developing Alzheimer’s disease and also reduce the nearly $4 billion Canada spends each year on health care costs related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
TPC approved repayable R&D investment: $7.9 million
Minister - Alan Rock
Registered Lobbyist - none registered. Francesco Bellini is registered to lobby for Biochem Pharma for this period, but nothing could be found for Neurochem. Francesco Bellini - "after having sold out his first company, Biochem Pharma in the year 2000 for 6 billion dollars (“I wanted to retire”), after a “retirement” of only three months, he started up another company, Neuropharm, specialized in Alzheimer’s treatment and currently worth about $500-$600 million."
"Today, Francesco Bellini owns 33% of Neurochem through Picchio International, his private portfolio company, and Picchio Pharma, a 50-50 joint venture company owned by Bellini’s family and Power Corporation, the largest Canadian financial group"
1996 - 0 1997 - 0 1998 - 0 1999 - 0 2000 - 0 2001 - $1,000 Liberal Party 2002 - 0 2003 - $1,000 Liberal Party
Power Corporation Political Donations 1996 - 2004 1996 - $33,406.90 Liberal Party 1997 - $31,000.00 Liberal Party 1998 - $38,406.60 Liberal Party 2000 - $39,892.62 Liberal Party 2001 - $74,346.30 Liberal Party 2002 - $70,000.00 Liberal Party 2003 - $70,000.00 Liberal Party 2003 - $25,000.00 Liberal Party
1996 - $34,014.99 Progressive Conservative Party 1997 - $67,089.60 Progressive Conservative Party 1998 - 0 1999 - 0 2000 - $35,000 Progressive Conservative Party 2001 - $56,918.10 Progressive Conservative Party 2002 - $50,000.00 Progressive Conservative Party 2003 - $45,000.00 Progressive Conservative Party
2000 - $25,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party 2001 - $25,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party 2002 - $25,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party
BIOCHEM PHARMA INC. To combat the large number of cases of respiratory infections worldwide, Laval, Quebec-based BioChemPharma Inc. is developing an innovative vaccine program that promises safer, cheaper and more effective protection against pneumonia, meningitis, and streptococcus — diseases considered health priorities by the World Health Organization and Health Canada. As the project evolves, BioChem Pharma is committed to expanding its current research capability and to establishing a research centre or centres in Canada to further develop this and other state-of-the-art vaccine technologies and to produce the vaccines in Canada in a new facility.
TPC approved repayable R&D investment: $80 million
Note: some of these registrations have the "I: Contingency Fees:" category, others do not.
Biochem Pharma Political Donations 1996 - 2004 1996 - $3,845.07 Liberal Party 1997 - $3,723.00 Progressive Conservative Party 1997 - $3,671.34 Liberal Party 1998 - $3,632.15 Liberal Party 1999 - 0 2000 - $64,742.30 Liberal Party 2000 - $5,000.00 Canadian Alliance/Reform Party 2000 - $673.52 Bloc Québécois 2001 - $4,346.30 Liberal Party 2001 - $56,536.25 Liberal Party (Shire Biochem) 2002 - $4,305.50 Liberal Party (Shire Biochem) 2003 - $12,309.68 Liberal Party (Shire Biochem)
Guy Lord - Millenium Scholarship Fund Francesco Bellini - Neurochem Inc NEUROCHEM INC. Developing an effective treatment for the estimated 14.5 million North Americans currently afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease is the focus of clinical trials being conducted by Neurochem Inc. of Saint-Laurent, Quebec. Neurochem’s therapeutic drug aims to prevent and arrest the brain cell death that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. If successful, this drug could considerably reduce the number of people developing Alzheimer’s disease and also reduce the nearly $4 billion Canada spends each year on health care costs related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
TPC approved repayable R&D investment: $7.9 million
Note: I'll cover the rest of Neurochem in detail later.
Since Industry Minister Emerson has decided not to release any information or details on what is going on with the TPC program, I'm left to my own devices. I'm going to start profiling some of the TPC companies listed in the Annual Reports on the Industry Canada - TPC website.
AETERNA LABORATORIES INC. More effective treatments for cancer, psoriasis and macular degeneration (a severe impairment of vision) may soon be a reality, thanks to three projects by Quebec City-based Aeterna Laboratories Inc. to develop new treatment approaches. The company’s treatment uses angiogenesis inhibitors extracted from shark cartilage, which prevent the formation of the oxygen-giving blood vessels that feed tumours and other growing cells. Without oxygen, these cells starve and die. Because this therapy is non-toxic, it may be used in conjunction with other therapies. If successful, this treatment could increase the quality of life of millions of people around the world.
TPC approved repayable R&D investments: cancer treatment – $9.9 million; psoriasis treatment –$9.6 million; macular degeneration treatment – $9.8 million
Minister - Alan Rock
Registered Lobbyist - David Dingwall 1998/11/25 - 2003/03/21
Aeterna Laboratories Federal Political Contributions 1996 - 2004 (TPC started in 96) 1996 - 0 1997 - 0 1998 - $5,000 Liberal Party of Canada 1999 - 0 (TPC was virtually shut down this year due to a WTO ruling) 2000 - $4,323.90 Liberal Party of Canada 2001 - $4346.30 Liberal Party of Canada 2002 - $1,315.36 Liberal Party of Canada 2003 - $856.16 Liberal Party of Canada 2004 - 0
Ottawa — The federal Tories will propose a package of incentives for young people to take up trades to help reduce Canada's shortage of skilled labour.
Stephen Harper will promise a financial boost for training and for employers, and also tax breaks for the tools tradespeople use.
The Conservative leader will make the announcement in Hamilton on Thursday, and the proposals will form part of the party's forthcoming election platform.
Galloway is back bashing the Tories again, with a story out of Quebec. Seems like the new gripe is that the Tories will lose in Quebec because they haven't set up a special regional organization. One of the sources quoted is Pierre Gaudreault, who recently stepped down as the CPC candidate in the Quebec City-area riding of Beauport-Limoilou.
Maybe if Mr. Gaudreault spent half as much time signing up members and knocking on doors as he did talking to the press, he wouldn't need all this "special assistance" from Ottawa. Seems like every time one of these disaffected Tories opens their mouth, they're waiting for some magical help from Ottawa. Here's a hint - there is no magic bullet other than good old fashioned hard work.
If you want a blueprint on how to win a riding, go visit Garth Turner's blog. Start from the first post and read every one.
Google has added an online RSS Reader to it's stable of new products. Not a bad tool. I easily imported an OPML file from my RSS Bandit reader to load all my feeds. This will be a handy tool for me as I will be able to check my feeds now wherever I am. It would be nice if they integrated this with Gmail accounts. I'm assuming that will come later on down the road. While they haven't achieved portal status as yet, Google is certainly putting all the pieces together leading up to a full fledged portal launch.
Meanwhile, the independent watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is making its perennial call for a change in the way the CBC president is named.
Friends president Ian Morrison says one of the ways to fix the public broadcaster is to end the process whereby the president is appointed by the prime minister.
"Accountable to no one other than the prime minister, (Robert) Rabinovitch had a free hand to lock out CBC employees and deny service to Canadians," Morrison told the Calgary Rotary Club last week. "Unlike other corporations, CBC's board cannot hire or fire its CEO."
He went on to say the "patronage governance system" has consequences for the effectiveness of CBC's management which lost a lot of credibility with its blundering of the situation.
If Mr. Morrison wants the appointment of the CBC President to be like other corporations, I say let's do it. The only thing is, if he wants to be like "other corporations" don't stop at just the President, let's go all the way. How about publishing your financial statements for a start?
Ms. Crowder noted that Pierre Ducasse, Mr. Layton's unelected Quebec adviser, and the Canadian Labour Congress are allowed to attend caucus meetings. But Mr. Layton remains adamant that unelected Senators cannot, even though he says Ms. Dyck is a "wonderful individual" who could provide helpful advice.
"The Senate is not part of a democracy," he said. "Our caucus is for elected people."
Funny thing. Last election I distinctly remember NDP MP Brian Masse winning my riding of Windsor-West, not someone from the Canadian Labour Congress. In fact, I don't remember seeing the CLC anywhere on the ballot.
Is it possible that a union member's vote means more to the NDP than the average Canadian?
Where is the representation for other special interest groups?
I guess the Canadian Labour Congress must be the ULTIMATE SPECIAL interest group, representing the rest of us.
While Canada ranks well in this 198 country survey, if you look at the countries in the top 10, it's easy to see that we risk dropping even further if the pace of improvement doesn't increase. The only country in the top 10 to drop from 2004 numbers was Australia.
Top 10 in E-Government Survey (2004 results in brackets)
1. Taiwan 57.2 (44.3) 2. Singapore 54.5 (43.8) 3. United States 50.5 (41.9) 4. Hong Kong 46.2 (33.7) 5. China 44.3 (37.3) 6. Canada 43.3 (40.3) 7. Germany 35.3 (35.0) 8. Australia 35.1 (36.7) 9. Ireland 34.6 (29.9) 10 Vatican 34.5 (26) Canada's Individual Scores Online Services 27 Publications 93 Data bases 60 Privacy Policy 100 Security Policy 100 W3C Disability/Accessibility 70
Criteria In order to see how the 198 nations ranked overall, we create a 0 to 100 point e-government index and apply it to each nation's websites based on the availability of publications, databases, and number of online services. Four points are awarded to each website for the presence of the following features: publications, databases, audio clips, video clips, foreign language access, not having ads, not having premium fees, not having user fees, disability access, having privacy policies, security policies, allowing digital signatures on transactions, an option to pay via credit cards, email contact information, areas to post comments, option for email updates, option for website personalization, and PDA accessibility. These features provide a maximum of 72 points for particular websites.
Each site then qualifies for a bonus of 28 points based on the number of online services executable on that site (1 point for one service, two points for two services, three points for three services, and on up to twenty-eight points for twenty-eight or more services). The e-government index runs along a scale from zero (having none of these features and no online services) to 100 (having all features plus at least 28 online services). Totals for each website within a country were averaged across all of that nation's websites to produce a zero to 100 overall rating for that nation.
The top country in our ranking is Taiwan at 57.2 percent. This means that every website we analyzed for that nation has more than half of the features important for information availability, citizen access, portal access, and service delivery. Other nations that score well on e-government include Singapore, United States, Hong Kong, China, Canada, Germany, Australia, and Ireland. The Appendix lists e-government scores for each of the 198 countries, plus comparisons between 2004 and 2005. A Note on Methodology The data for our analysis consist of an assessment of 1,797 national government websites for the 198 nations around the world (see Appendix for the full list of countries). We analyze a range of sites within each country to get a full sense of what is available in particular nations. Among the sites analyzed are those of executive offices (such as a president, prime minister, ruler, party leader, or royalty), legislative offices (such as Congress, Parliament, or People's Assemblies), judicial offices (such as major national courts), Cabinet offices, and major agencies serving crucial functions of government, such as health, human services, taxation, education, interior, economic development, administration, natural resources, foreign affairs, foreign investment, transportation, military, tourism, and business regulation. Websites for subnational units, obscure boards and commissions, local government, regional units, and municipal offices are not included in this study. The analysis was undertaken during June and July, 2005 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Tabulation for this project was completed by Amy Goins, Emily Lewis-Lamonica, Zhizhan Gu, Devon Dear, Masha Kirasirova, Mark Severs, Ethan Burton, Jeff Tiell, and Ramadan Hussein. National government website addresses can be found at www.InsidePolitics.org/world.html.
The regional breakdowns for the websites we studied are 20 percent from Western European countries, followed by 14 percent from Africa, 13 percent from the Middle East, 12 percent from Asia, 9 percent Eastern Europe, 8 percent South America, 7 percent Pacific Ocean countries (meaning those off the Asian continent), 7 percent from Central America, 5 percent North America (which included Canada, the United States, and Mexico), and 5 percent Russia and Central Asia (such as the areas of the former Soviet Union).
Websites are evaluated for the presence of various features dealing with information availability, service delivery, and public access. Features assessed included the name of the nation, region of the world, and having the following features: online publications, online database, audio clips, video clips, non-native languages or foreign language translation, commercial advertising, premium fees, user payments, disability access, privacy policy, security features, presence of online services, number of different services, digital signatures, credit card payments, email address, comment form, automatic email updates, website personalization, personal digital assistant (PDA) access, and an English version of the website. Where national government websites are not in English, our research team employed foreign language readers to evaluate government websites.
This is some of the most promising news I've seen on the efforts to reduce massive farm subsidies by the EU and the US. Here's hoping that the two sides can negotiate a deal.
ZURICH, Oct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. trade chief Rob Portman said on Monday the United States was ready to take "some pain" to win a deal on farm reform that is crucial to a world trade deal.
The U.S. trade representative, who detailed to journalists an offer to slash farm subsidies and tariffs, said the U.S. proposals depended on others also playing their part.
Washington, which says it could cut trade-distorting farm subsidies by 60 percent, wants the European Union and Japan to cut subsidies by 80 percent because they currently spend far more than the U.S. does.
"I hope today we can break the deadlock (on farm trade)," Portman said ahead of a round of meetings with trade ministers.
The European Union welcomed the U.S. initiative.
"The EU will match -- and indeed go substantially beyond -- the 60 percent cut in the most trade distorting support proposed by the U.S.," said a statement by European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.
Portman was due to explain his plan to some 23 trade and agriculture ministers at a gathering in Zurich called by the United States to overcome problems that have snarled World Trade Organisation (WTO) farm talks.
He said he foresaw three five-year phases for the proposed cuts in farm subsidies and import duties in rich countries, a key demand of developing countries in the WTO's Doha Round.
On subsidies, Portman said he needed the gap between what the European Union and the United States spend on domestic support, or subsidies, to narrow during the first phase to 2-to-1, from around 3-to-1 at present.
The first phase would run from 2008, the year any trade deal would be expected to come into effect, and would see the implementation of drastic cuts in subsidies and tariffs, with the latter falling between 55 and 90 percent.
A second five-year period would allow adjustment and adaptation to the new rules, followed by moves to eliminate all trade-distorting subsidies and farm tariffs by the end of the third period in 2023.
On the so-called blue box of farm subsidies, a sort of halfway-house between subsidies that seriously distort trade and those which have little impact, Portman said he was willing to see the ceiling lowered to 2-1/2 percent from the five percent currently being discussed.
Export subsidies, which the European Union has already offered to eliminate, would be barred from 2010, Portman told journalists.
"One vote is allowed per computer in a 24 hour period. Voting ends at midnight (Mountain Time) on Friday Oct 21/05. The voting has been broken up into separate polls for each category. This is perhaps a bit awkward, but it allows me to send HTML voting code to the owners of nominate blogs who want to display the individual voting boxes on their sites (e-mail me at digiteyesed [at] gmail [dot] com if you want the code)."
(P.S. - I'll post my favourite picks later this evening)
"The real question here is British Columbia," said Marzolini, predicting that, if a federal election were held today, B.C. could for the first time determine who becomes prime minister.
"It really is going to be a huge battleground."
The survey suggested a near three-way split in decided support in B.C., with 35 per cent for the Liberals, 33 for the Conservatives and 27 for the NDP.
This has always been a pet peeve of mine and a policy that needs to be changed. Political staffers have preferential, priority status on any Public Service openings.
Globe and Mail By BILL CURRY Friday, October 7, 2005
Commission President Maria Barrados said in her annual report to Parliament yesterday that 35 staffers, all Liberals, received government jobs in the past fiscal year through the program. The report said a large number of staff lost their jobs when several ministers in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Cabinet retired or were demoted by his successor, Paul Martin.
The report found 46.5 per cent of those who used the program ended up in the same department where they once worked as ministerial staff.
Ms. Barrados said moving into the same department creates the potential for political interference.
"The greater risk and what we are concerned about is the Public Service Commission is charged with maintaining a meritorious and politically impartial public service and when you have people moving from political offices, there is a greater risk that you might be compromising non-partisanship," she said. "I think when you have somebody going to the same department where they were holding a political position, I think you have an increased risk."
One of the most publicized jobs awarded under the program involved Pierre Tremblay, chief of staff to then-public works minister Alfonso Gagliano. Mr. Tremblay received a priority appointment at Public Works to replace Chuck Guité, the bureaucrat who ran the sponsorship program that is now the subject of a public inquiry
The recent announcement that as of April 1st 2006, Public Service jobs will be open to all Canadians regardless of where they live is a long overdue change. The preferential hire priority for political staffers needs to be revoked in order to make Public Service jobs a truly open and fair competition.
When Prime Minister Martin is out of town, he leaves his well trained Cabinet Ministers behind to clean up the mess, or not make any further messes, depending on how you look at it.
Well Trained (7.33 mb right click and choose 'Save target as...' to download file)
What's Bigger - PM's Ethical Deficit or Democratic Deficit ? (en francais)
After a question from NDP MP Ed Broadbent during Question Period yesterday regarding the ethics of rewarding ex-Liberal Cabinet Minister David Dingwall, the Prime Minister had this to say:
Paul Martin "I take considerable exception to the reference by the Honourable Member to the low ethical standards of the ministers. I want this member to know the ethical standards of this Cabinet and the ethical standards of this government are of the highest. They should not be called into doubt," he said. (National Post, October 5, 2005)
I think PMPM needs to add a little lot of Ginko Biloba to his South Beach diet. In the meantime, I offer him these reminders:
50 Ways To Not Be Proud of Your 'Ethical' Record
(Ethical Deficit for short)
1. David Dingwall’s expenses as head of Royal Canadian Mint
2. Liberals planning to give David Dingwall a severance package after he resigned
3. Judy Sgro’s campaign volunteer (a stripper) getting ministerial permit
4. Sgro’s senior policy advisor going to strip club to meet with owner to discuss bringing more strippers into Canada. (National Post, November 25, 2004). Subsequent revelations indicate that he went to at least one other strip club to conduct similar meetings (Toronto Sun, December 7, 2004)
5. Sgro giving out details of private immigration files, violating Privacy Act
6. Allegations that Sgro broke the elections law in failing to properly identify the source of a campaign contribution. (Toronto Star, December 8, 2004).
7. Martin patronage-appointee Jim Walsh breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Christmas Party (St. John’s Telegram, January 20, 2005).
8. Martin patronage appointee Glen Murray breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Convention as delegate
9. Martin ignoring parliamentary committee and appointing Glen Murray as chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
10. Joe Volpe keeping stripper visa program operating, despite having promised to shut it down (CTV.ca, March 5, 2005)
11. Jean Lapierre acting as lobbyist without registering
12. Joe Volpe trying to intimidating Sikh community
13. According to documents obtained by the Globe and Mail, Pierre Pettigrew billed Canadian taxpayers for $10,000 for trips for his driver in 2001 and 2002. Pettigrew took his driver to South America and Europe, even though the driver didn’t do any driving on the trips. (Globe and Mail, September 14, 2005)
14. Joe Volpe’s questionable hospitality expenses (Globe and Mail, September 21, 2005), including $138 for two people at a pizzeria
15. Minister Frulla’s renovations
16. Pay raises for chiefs-of-staff in ministers offices, while spending is frozen for public service.
17. The government’s changing numbers on how much money has gone to CSL
18. Lobbyists in Paul Martin’s transition team being allowed to return to lobbying immediately, after being involved in process of picking new cabinet and senior staff.
19. Martin using government jets to tour the country campaigning before election, spending over $1 million for air travel alone.
20. Calling an early election after earlier promising first to get to the bottom of the sponsorship scandal
21. $99 million Public Works contract that went to company overseen by Liberal fundraiser and future Senator Paul Massicotte (Montreal Gazette, June 26, 2004)
22. Parliamentary Secretary Dan McTeague’s 3-person, $224 trip to a Pizzeria
23. Immigration Minister Judy Sgro’s staff being allowed to stay on “extended travel” benefits, letting them bill taxpayers’ for thousands of dollars in hotel rooms and meals, because they didn’t want to move from Toronto to Ottawa until after the election.
24. Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Lucie McClung’s travel expenses
25. Contracting irregularities on more than two dozen projects at DND worth tens of millions of dollars, showing over-billing, profit excesses, unauthorized additional work, lack of accounting records, spiralling cost overruns, etc. (Globe and Mail, July 14, 2004).
26. ACOA Minister Joe McGuire canceling ACOA loan and grant to ABL Industries Inc. because it would compete with company in his riding. (Fredericton Daily Gleaner, July 17, 2004).
27. Andy Mitchell’s chief of staff’s $22,000 in expenses to commute to Ottawa (Toronto Star, August 2, 2004).
28. André Ouellet’s travel and hospitality expenses at Canada Post.
29. Government delaying release of audit on Ouellet until after the election (Globe and Mail, July 31, 2004).
30. Martin’s principle secretary Francis Fox’s sister getting untendered contracts (The Province, July 27, 2004).
31. Continuing problems in advertising files at Public Works (Ottawa Sun, July 26, 2004).
32. A Liberal Party of Canada fundraising letter signed by Paul Martin, asking potential contributors to offer $7,000, $7,100 or $7,2000 in contributions – far in excess of donation limits passed by the very same Liberal government
33. Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne violating municipal bylaws. Municipality pursuing legal action against him. (Ottawa Citizen, August 19, 2004).
34. Abuse of government credit cards by staff at Fisheries Department (CP Wire, September 24, 2004)
35. Hélène Scherrer using Challenger to fly to Banff during election to give partisan speech
36. Abuse of Challengers by Paul Martin and various ministers (eg. Andy Mitchell, Claudette Bradshaw)
37. Paul Martin taking Challenger jets to Liberal fundraisers
38. Challenger food bill of $508 per flight
39. Expenses during election filed by aide to Ralph Goodale
40. Questionable expenses during election filed by aides to Judy Sgro
41. Man convicted of fraud against government hired to teach ethics course to public servants (National Post, October 20, 2004).
42. Public Works selling confiscated grow-op equipment to drug traffickers. (National Post, October 21, 2004).
43. Pressure by Liberal MPs and ministers on ACOA to make funding decisions based on politics (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, October 25, 2004).
44. Paul Martin’s Director of Communications Scott Reid insulting Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (Toronto Star, October 28, 2004)
45. The Martin government spent $127,223 on a poll last February testing ways to diffuse negative reaction to the bombshell auditor-general's report -- which included the finding the Liberals ignored their own rules prohibiting the use of tax dollars on partisan polls (Vancouver Sun, November 8, 2004).
46. Irwin Cotler appointing his former chief-of-staff to federal court (National Post, November 23, 2004).
47. Heritage Minister Liza Frulla giving grant to magazine that put her on the cover and made her honourary president (Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2004)
48. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing various former Liberal MPs or Liberal candidates to patronage positions, including John Harvard, Yvon Charbonneau, Stan Keyes, Dennis Dawson, Francis Fox, Sophia Leung, Sarkis Assadourian, Karen Kraft Sloan, Dave Haggard and Glen Murray
49. Liberal Senator Michel Biron going to hearing to support killer Karla Homolka (CTV News, June 9, 2005)
50. Public Works contract watchdog Consulting and Audit Canada violating contracting rules (Toronto Star, July 4, 2005)
Take a minute to vote in BBS's 'Deficit' Poll - top right sidebar
Keep your eye on Technoscam for all your Technology Partnerships Canada updates. Stephen Taylor has joined as a team member. If anyone else wants to join and help us get to the bottom of this mess, drop me a line at bluebloggingsoapbox@gmail.com
Vodcast (or Vidcast) is an emerging term used for the online delivery of video on demand content via RSS enclosures. The format is used by video weblogs (also known as vlogs, vodding, vlogcasting, or vidcasting). The term is an evolution specialized for video, coming from the generally audio-based "podcast."
The video enclosed in a vodcast can be stored on a web server in any file-based container and codec, or streamed from a streaming server. Podcasting clients can usually be set up to open suitable software to play the videos, although iTunes can play vodcasts internally if they are in a suitable format. Both formats have their advantages: file-based media can be sychnronised with portable media players, whilst streaming allows seeking without downloading the full file and better digital rights management.
Congratulations to the Blogging Tories - reaching for new heights
If you want to check out a cool Vlog, drop in to RocketBoom with Amanda Congdon
Government Sole Sources Forensic Accounting Contract (en francais)
Interesting little piece in the National Post today:
Single-source contract let(Subscriber only) OTTAWA - The federal government has inadvertently revealed it is conducting a large-scale forensic accounting probe into "possibly criminal matters" when it published details of a contract intended for a Quebec accounting firm. The notice awarding a $2-million contract for forensic accounting services was published on the government's tendering Web site, MERX. It gave notice Consulting and Audit Canada was planning to award the sole-source contract to Leclerc Juricomptable, a Quebec City firm specializing in forensic work and litigation support. The contract award notice said the work had to be sole-sourced to Leclerc because it is "not in the public interest to jeopardize the current investment in the investigation or to significantly increase the risk to a successful completion of the investigation into possibly criminal matters."
Wonder who?
My guesses:
1. Industry Canada - Technology Partnerships Canada, IRAP-TPC (Hey - what else do you think I would pick as #1) 2. Public Works - have you been paying attention to question period the last few days? Something to do with Minister Brison's department, the RCMP and 150 boxes of evidence? 3. Defence 4. Indian Affairs 5. Those ubiquitous, 'arms length Foundations' with billions of our tax dollars squirreled away, out of oversight
One of the great political myths is that patronage is a victimless crime. Politicians push jobs and contracts to friends, the nation's work gets done and ordinary folks get mad but no one really gets hurt. Once upon a simpler time, that might have been true.
While railroad, hydro and even spy scandals rocked and sometimes ruined governments, a rich, relatively honest and passably well-managed country shrugged off its leaders' worst indiscretions to somehow stumble forward.
But those times aren't these times. Blame it on high-profile public policy failures, the cumulative effect of corruption, or public frustration reaching the tipping point, but patronage now stands exposed as a villain surrounded by victims. It's not just a Canadian phenomenon. In the U.S., a presidential pal who knew more about horses than saving lives is appointed to the federal emergency agency and the result is the New Orleans rescue debacle and a Bush administration suddenly in free-fall.
Up here, where even our embarrassments are 90 per cent smaller than those down there, we have David Dingwall. Who could have guessed that Jean Chrétien's stranger-than-fiction decision to hand the machine that literally prints money to a Liberal synonymous with pork-barrel politics would provide such startling insight.
In defending the indefensible Dingwall, Paul Martin's government is proving that it fears a former Liberal cabinet minister more than Justice John Gomery or even angry voters.
What else explains the indecent hurry to send Dingwall on his way with even more taxpayer money, this time gift-wrapped as severance?
Doesn't it just make you wonder what they're afraid Dingwall would say?
First thing you should notice, is the new "Action Centre" on the front page.
A great new feature is the "eCards". Currently they have only one card to send, on the new transit policy, but I imagine many more will follow.
On the Main Menu make sure you check out the Multimedia Centre, Crime Task Force and Issues section.
The Issues area contains the Conservative Party's Key Issues: A United Canada, Choice in Childcare, Clean Environment, Honesty and Integrity, New Canadians, Public Transit, Rural Canada, Safer Streets and a Stronger Country, Seniors, Shorter Waiting Times, Tax Relief and Better Jobs, Vital Cities and Communities. Each issue has a short summary on what the Conservative Party is standing up for.
When the United Steelworkers of America set their sights on unionizing a group of employees, you just know that some bad things could happen to some very good people – and that’s exactly what happened to banking industry employees in Northern Ontario.
A Union drive should involve informing the employees of the benefits of Union membership through leaflets or mutually agreed upon personal meetings. At least that’s the way grown-ups would conduct themselves. But such civility becomes an obstacle when Employees simply aren’t coming onside. The spirit of such Employees MUST BE BROKEN – and the Union then shifts into overdrive to accomplish this goal through well-established, hard-line union tactics.
OTTAWA, September 30, 2005 -- The Government of Canada announced today that it is seeking to recover an additional $7.8 million in its civil suit launched against defendants involved in the now cancelled sponsorship program.
This extra amount includes $4.3 million against Groupaction Marketing and Jean Brault, $1.9 million against Jean Lafleur, and smaller sums from other defendants previously named in the case.
"This amended claim is a direct result of the federal government's determination to recover misused sponsorship funds," said Scott Brison, Minister of Public Works and Government Services. "The Government of Canada will continue taking all necessary steps to safeguard Canadians' hard-earned tax dollars."
Here's a question for Minister Brison. If you're so determined to recover "misused sponsorship funds", how about arranging for a true forensic audit of the Liberal Party of Canada books? I'm sure you'll find a couple more million there. That's not even considering the amount of unaccounted for work that was done for the Liberal party by firms and billed to the government.
"The Government of Canada will continue taking all necessary steps to safeguard Canadians' hard-earned tax dollars"
I'll give you a simple tip for safeguarding our money - RESIGN!
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