Could this be the last false majority for Ontario? We can only hope.

From CTV.ca:

"It's a difficult decision: I don't like the choices," said one riding resident as he sipped a coffee in the sunshine outside a Second Cup at the York Mills plaza in the heart of the riding.

"John Tory is pressing for these religious based schools and I don't like it, and Kathleen Wynne is a very strong candidate but I can't stand her leader."

Interesting comment indeed. Sounds like the same type of grumblings that existed prior to the 2007 PEI general election this past spring, and we all know how that ended up.

Moreover, you know this isn't the only fellow or gal in Ontario who will be casting their ballot based on lack of choices at the top. Let's hope that the insanity of the FPTP system is put to rest on the 10th because Ontarioans deserve better.

It's not worth having a leader elected to a (false?) majority based on the fact that his/her policies were the lesser of the two evils. That's not how democracy should work. Ontarioans deserve more [voting] options. That I do know.

Return surplus to New Brunswickers

• Over-taxation results in $237-million surplus in 2006/07.


• $136- million goes toward debt reduction payments, but broad-based income tax reductions and small business corporate tax relief not on Boudreau's radar screen.

New Brunswick Finance Minister Victor Boudreau, for some reason or other, seems extremely pleased [today] to announce his government has accumulated a massive budgetary surplus (ten times what it was projected to be last March).

Of course, he wouldn't want to be truthful to NBers and admit that what this surplus really means is that government is taking in far too much of our money, through over-taxation; so much so that even our bureaucrats and tax-and-spend politicians, despite their corporate welfare efforts and funding of the fledgling Caisses, couldn't even spend it all.

Don't get me wrong here, NBers prefer a surplus to a budget deficit any day of the week, however, when [it] exceeds the projections by ten times the amount, something is drastically wrong. It's high time the finance minister and the premier considered giving back this huge surplus via broad-based tax relief. Tax relief they said couldn't be sustained without placing the economy in jeoparty. Obviously, they were wrong.

Anyway, I won't hold my breath. (Hat tip Spink About It)

Corporate welfare on the march once again in the Miramichi

(Photo and link courtesy of the Telegraph Journal)

New Brunswick Taxpayers is extremely disappointed with the provincial government's recent announcement of a reported multi-million dollar subsidy for Atcon Group Inc.

I've said it before [on this blog] and I'll say it again, the provincial government is marching down a very dangerous road with its continuous use of taxpayers' dollars in the name of corporate welfare. Though many close to the premier are touting this as a major victory for the Miramichi region, we all know that this is far from the case as corporate welfare creates a less competitive business climate, not to mention, ever-higher taxes for New Brunswickers.

Furthermore, once one company gets a subsidy, all the others will quickly line up for a handout as well. In other words, companies become so adept at courting government money that they build such expectations into their business plans which ends up having a very negative impact on the future growth of their company. And for those who don't receive any subsidies at all, essentially they are being asked to compete against the government.

So no matter what positive spin the politicians or BNB officials try to put on their latest so-called investment, just remember, corporate welfare is almost inevitably an abysmal failure and will do nothing for the longterm sustainable growth of the Miramichi region. Another sad day indeed.

Graham's growing corporate welfare offenses

Though Shawn Graham just celebrated his government's 1st year anniversary in office nine days ago, [he] already has a long history of pouring taxpayers' money into failing businesses and companies who don't even need one penny of our [taxpayers'] money. Here are some related articles on the subject of corporate welfare in New Brunswick:

Spinning Yarn of Corporate Welfare (Atlantic Yarns)

Atlantic Yarns: Bottomless subsidy pit ("")

The business of gov't is not the government of business

A culture of dependency (Rogers Communications Inc.)

My New Business Plan (The Mactaquac marina)

Business Pork (Cape Jourimain Nature Centre Inc.)

Statist Guile (Premier's pledge to stop use of grants & loans)

Put An End to Wasteful Subsidies (Atlantic Beef Products Inc.)

Ontario election shenanigans caught on tape?? Yikes, this can't be good.

From Warren Kinsella:

And this ain't all: we've got footage of a certain Conservative lawyer - and employee of a certain discredited Toronto "consulting" firm - actually running to cover an Elections Ontario sign, as John Tory's bus pulled up. Sound like someone breaking the rules to you? Me too. Stay tuned.

For those of you who have been involved with a few election campaigns in the past, you know very well that this kind of stuff happens frequently (and people usually turn a blind eye).

Although, when it's caught on Youtube and it is an identifiable partisan or spokesperson who's involved, it's a whole different kettle of fish. The way things have been going for John Tory in this election thus far, don't be surprised if this dominates the airwaves in Ontario tonight, tomorrow and over the weekend. And to think, some people thought this elections was going to be about serious ideas.

Aparently not. Thank god for MMP.

Update

Just minutes after I published this post [above] on blogger, this video was found uploaded to Youtube. Doesn't take long for bad news to travel fast on the internet, does it?

For the record, as someone who knows that area extremely well and also workout in the Nepean Sportsplex gym for five years, the entrance you see in the video which leads to the polling stations (advanced voters) is not the entrance that the bus is pulling up to. There is an entrance which you can not see in the video, which is adjacent to the other entrance, and far enough away from being considered an interference to advanced voters I might add.

Furthermore, buses which pull up there for things such as hockey games in the Steve Yzerman arena (which would be right in front of the bus in the video), or other such things, usually pull away and park in the parking lot which is not part of that facility in the back (the Nepean Sportsplex parking lot is in the front). In other words, it's not like the bus stayed there either. Unless there is clear evidence that a so-called partisan worker pulled down that Elections Ontario sign (or physically covered it), this is much to do about nothing.

Carry on as you were.

Ontario's Greatest Female Premier

It's hard to believe that Catherine Callbeck, former PEI premier, is still the only female on record to be elected as premier of a Canadian province in a general election.

Anyway, in the spirit of promoting more females voices in Canadian politics, Equal Voice has created a contest celebrating some of the greatest women in Ontario. The good thing about this online pseudo election is that you can be from another province and still vote. So what are you waiting for folks, show your support for the female politicians (and next premier) of your choice and go vote!!

Promises are like crying babies in a theater, they should be carried out at once.

The above statement says it all as I've always been a strong believer that the most important thing to a man is his word. However, according to Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson, it is only good to keep your word to people that will vote for you. In all other cases, it is acceptable to break promises, dodge and lie. Here's his most interesting line in defense of McGuinty's broken promise not to raise taxes:

The granddaddy of photo ops, however, featured Mr. McGuinty signing a written pledge not to raise taxes. The pledge was published by a small but noisy lobby group, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, most of whose members weren't going to vote Liberal anyway.

Let's just say, with statements like that, it's lucky that Mr. Simpson doesn't have to face the electorate. Methinks he wouldn't last very long. (Hat tip Paul Tuns)

Another case against FPTP

Ontario blogger Greg Staples (aka political staples) makes another case in favour of MMP by using an old example 'we NBers' know all too well. Here's the post in its entirety:

So I've been reading much of the pro-MMP and anti-MMP blogposting and op-eds and I don't think anyone has mentioned the ultimate abuse case of FPTP, the 1987 New Brunswick provincial election. Here are the results of that years popular vote.

Liberals: 60.4% Progressive Conservative: 28.6% New Democrats: 10.6% Other: 0.4%

Clearly a huge victory for the Frank McKenna led Liberals, a clear majority and a clear mandate. So how many seats did they win? All 58 of them! If you were part of the 40% that did not vote for the Liberals you got zero representation - it is the ultimate example of wasted votes.

Think about this a little further keeping our Westminster Parliament system in mind. There was no leader of the opposition sitting in Parliament or any opposition members to challenge the government in the legislature. If I remember correctly they had to make special compensation to allow the opposition leader into the House to ask questions just so Parliamant wasn't a complete farce.

Think it can't happen again, just watch the Newfoundland and Labrador election going on right now.

Great point. Just to add to that, I'm sure many older political watchers on Prince Edward Island would remember, or heard their parents talking about, the election of 1935, not to mention, the elections of '93 and 2000 where many islanders were grossly misrepresented (see here, here and here). It should also be noted that in the '35 election where the Liberals swept all 30 seats in the legislature, the government had to assume the de facto role of unofficial opposition wherein they criticized their own cohorts (I'm sure they tossed some serious softballs) so that the public didn't perceive them to be completely unaccountable.

But what was even more interesting about that particular election was not what occured after the vote, but the end results themselves, especially given that on other occasions the split in the popular vote, 58% to 42%, would have produced much different results. Take for example the 1970 PEI election where "the government won by a greater margin, yet the opposition won 5 seats". Talk about another great example of how flawed the FPTP system can be.

Also of great interest was the '93 election because it was the last year that any province used the multi-member ridings (not proportional) as their model (it should be noted that the change was motivated by the lack of representation in the results):

The PC party took only a single seat, one of three times in the province's history that the Official Opposition consisted of a single member. The PC Party had gained nearly 5% in popular vote since the last election, but its caucus was cut in half. This was one of among many reasons for the ending of the dual-member ridings on Prince Edward Island. As of 2006, this was the last federal or provincial election in Canada to use multi-member constituencies, a common feature of Canadian elections held in earlier decades (wikipedia).

Funny, the change away from dual-member ridings didn't seem to curb the problem of misrepresentation as three out of their next four elections (2000, 2003 and 2007) encountered the same problem as did the '93 election. Furthermore, in their very last election this past spring, there were 5,519 people who voted for the PEI Tories in Charlottetown (the largest urban centre) resulting in no representation whatsoever in the provincial legislature. So not only is there a generic weakness with FPTP, it causes regional misrepresentation as well.

Moreover, I'm certain that many NBers remember the 2006 election where the Progressive Conservatives under Bernard Lord got more votes than the Liberals did (47.5% to 47.1%), however, they still lost the election (PC 26 seats to Liberals’ 29 seats). Let's face it, there has to be a better way.

On out-of-control spending

I just purchased Alan Greenspan's memoir/treatise Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World. I have yet to crack open the book, but I have to admit, this excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article by Greg Ip and Emily Steel piqued my curiosity:

Mr. Greenspan, who calls himself a "lifelong libertarian Republican," writes that he advised the White House to veto some bills to curb "out-of-control" spending while the Republicans controlled Congress. He says President Bush's failure to do so "was a major mistake." Republicans in Congress, he writes, "swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither. They deserved to lose."

Good to know that there are still some folks in North America who believe in small-government and less waste. And btw, "swapping principle for power" when it comes to economic policy isn't just an ethos germane to government south of the border, if you know what I mean.

Promises are like babies: easy to make, hard to deliver

I see that our good ol' pal McGuinty is at it again. Funny, you would think that if he was serious about not raising taxes [again], he would have made an appearance at this gathering on monday to commemorate the four year anniversary of his tax promise (said with tongue-in-cheek):



I wholeheartedly agree with the CTF's statement: "voters are tired of politicians who promise one thing during an election and then do the exact opposite after they are elected. It is time for a return to honesty in politics.”

At this point in time, I think the best thing for Ontario taxpayers and voters, IMO, would be a Truth in Politics Act. Something that I have mentioned before on this blog.

Promise Breaking Update

Full marks to whoever came up with this Youtube [Simpsons] ad regarding Dalton's broken promises. (Deja Vu is not bad either)

(Hat tip Scott Hennig and kit)

Why the Libertarian vote matters

Here's an interesting analysis on the Libertarian vote by both David Boaz, Cato's executive vice president, and David Kirby, executive director of America's Future Foundation:

For those on the trail of the elusive swing voter, it may be most notable that the libertarian vote shifted sharply in 2004. Libertarians preferred George W. Bush over Al Gore by 72 to 20 percent, but Bush's margin dropped in 2004 to 59-38 over John Kerry. Congressional voting showed a similar swing from 2002 to 2004. Libertarians apparently became disillusioned with Republican overspending, social intolerance, civil liberties infringements, and the floundering war in Iraq.

The libertarian vote is in play. At some 13 percent of the electorate, it is sizable enough to swing elections. Pollsters, political strategists, candidates, and the media should take note of it.

In play indeed. Maybe Harper should start taking this constituency more seriously [here] as well, especially since non-classical liberals are trying to muscle in on this territory.

"Health zones" an infringement on freedom and choice

From the Los Angeles Times:

As America gets fatter, policymakers are seeking creative approaches to legislating health.

They may have entered the school cafeteria -- and now they're eyeing your neighborhood. Amid worries of an obesity epidemic and its related illnesses, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, Los Angeles officials, among others around the country, are proposing to limit new fast-food restaurants -- a tactic that could be called health zoning.

As I mentioned before in a post by To Be Announced, there's nothing wrong with public awareness campaigns designed to inform us about how we can make healthier choices. Unfortunately, it is rare that "the advice" just stops there. Inevitably, through pressures from the political left, government starts to implement policies into law that will guarantee longer health, but in doing so, they take away choices from people who value these freedoms --- whether it be the freedom to smoke a cigar, eat two Big Macs on a sunday or indulge in a less than perfect lifestyle.

The bottom line here is that it's not the governments job to legislate good health or encroach on somebody's rights, property and freedom, they're in charge of ensuring liberty, which most certainly includes the liberty to hold bad habits.

Let the voter fraud begin

'Burka ruling' undermines our democratic process

The last time I looked, parliament voted in favour of having all Canadian voters provide visual identification at voting stations. I guess this matters not to Elections Canada as they decided to overstep the rules and guidelines for the sake of sharia law (veiled women will be able to vote in the upcoming Quebec byelections). Yikes!

However, Paul Tuns doesn't see this ruling as leading towards sharia law, although he does think that "it shows, as Mark Steyn has argued for a half decade, that the West lacks both the civilizational confidence and intestinal fortitude to meet the threat of radical Islam. It also illustrates once again that Canada has either given up on the idea of equality before the law or given multiculturalism priority over this concept." (updated)

Furthermore, if there is one thing that a ruling like this demonstrates, it's that there is a need for a complete housecleaning within Election Canada. Let's be honest folks, for the last decade and a half, this organization was nothing more than an extension of the Liberal party of Canada used to reward friends with plum positions. For the sake of democracy, this is one camper that hopes we haven't heard the last on this ridiculous "veil" ruling.

'Dry Humour' Update

As Burton Front mentioned, Halloween may come earlier than anticipated for some. (Hat tip Bourque Newswatch)

Mulroney: Trudeau an anti-semite

Mulroney didn't go as far as to accuse the late Trudeau of actually being a fascist Nazi (I guess he must have let the fact that he [Trudeau] once scared a few neighbours in Montreal by knocking on their door and giving them the “Sieg Heil” salute dressed in full Nazi regalia slide), however, that didn't stop him from describing Trudeau as someone who lacked the moral fibre to lead. Check out this excerpt in today's Herald from a chapter in his memoirs which are to be officially released this Monday. Very damning indeed.

I remember asking Spinks one day why he decided to omit Pierre Elliott Trudeau from his 101 list, he replied with something along the lines of "I don't think it's appropriate to criticize individuals who are dead as they are unable to defend themselves". Very good point. One I think Mulroney should have considered before sending some of his candid comments to print. And I say this as someone who has never been a big fan of Trudeaumania.

Related: Repairing Trudeau's mistakes, The man who would kill separatism, The Mulroney I know, Strong on trade

Yeah we're movin' on up

A big win for economic freedom in Canada

Like I've said millions of times before on this blog and in other ppls comments sections: low taxes (both personal and business), limited government interference, secure property rights and reduced spending are the true formula for economic success.

That being said, you can imagine how delighted I was when I read this article in the Financial Post which disclosed Canada's [rise] in ranking on the "Economic Freedom of the World" index (where we are now fifth in the world with a score 8.1 out of 10). Moreover, for all you government-knows-best advocates out there that argue ad nauseam that free market economist have little empathy for the disenfranchised of society, read it and weep:

The report said the top quarter of the list, the most economically free, had the highest average income at $26,013 US per year, the highest average income among the poorest of their populations at $7,334 US, the best per-capita rate of economic growth at 2.25 per cent, and highest life expectancy 78.7 years.

The bottom quarter, the least free, had the lowest average income at $3,305 per year, the poorest 10 per cent of their people had the worst average income at $905 per year, suffered a slow 0.35 per cent rate of economic growth, and had a life expectancy of 56.7 years.

Methinks government dependency has and always will be a huge deterrent to personal and corporate economic freedom here in New Brunswick.

Canadian identity, eh?

Preston Manning has an excellent article in the Globe & Mail on what it means to be Canadian. Using the winning entry (as a benchmark) from the late Peter Gzowski's Country in the Morning quiz "As Canadian as possible, under the circumstances", Manning attempts to find out just what "the circumstances" are where we define ourselves as most Canadian. Through discussions with both peers and colleagues, [Manning] concludes that, unlike our American counterparts who are required to be American, we only become unqualified Canadians when outside the country;

Over the past year, I have heard three individuals - a recent university graduate, a former premier and a former federal cabinet minister - all address this question. And although the backgrounds of each were very different, all three had come to roughly the same conclusion.

The McGill graduate, Nicholas Gafuik, who is now director of program planning for the Manning Centre, puts it this way: "I never feel more Canadian than when I'm out of the country. My sense of Canadian identity becomes stronger the farther and longer I am away."

Former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon told me something similar. He observed that Canada's premiers, who find it so hard to speak with one voice or to find common purpose when they are assembled at federal-provincial or premiers conferences at home, had little difficulty doing so when they were abroad together as part of the Team Canada trade missions.

And just recently I heard former foreign affairs minister Pierre Pettigrew say the same thing in an even more graphic way. "When I am in Quebec, I'm from Quebec City; when I'm in Toronto, I'm from Quebec; but when I'm in London or Tokyo, I'm from Canada."

Very interesting indeed. Moreover, Gary Filmon's observation reminds me of something former senior advisor and Chretien chief-of-staff Eddie Goldenberg said in his book The Way It Works about how the bonding factor of being "a Canadian" on a trade mission not only helped ease the domestic political tensions between premiers, it also produced policy results:

Students of federal-provincial relations in Canada, who are accustomed to acrimonious public posturing at televised meetings between the federal prime minister and provincial premiers, would be surprised to learn that crucial talks in 1997 between the federal government and Ontario about solvency of Canada's public pension system took place in a hotel lobby in Seoul, South Korea; that early decisions on the amount of money to invest in the National Child Benefit were the products of discussions with provincial premiers on a sightseeing boat on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand; and that the Romanow Commission on Health Care first saw the light of day in conversations on a bus in Beijing, China. This was not the result of globalization creeping into federal-provincial relations; instead it was the product of a deliberate policy not to conduct federal-provincial relations in formal high-stakes settings in Ottawa.

Now I know that PM Stephen Harper likes to meet individually with premiers and stakeholders at 24 Sussex drive, however, here's hoping that he takes advantage of the so-called strong Canadian identity factor which, according to Manning and others, exists more prominently the further and longer Canadians are away from their country. Hey, maybe PMSH could even invite CTF president John Williamson and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on his next trip out of the country so that they can seriously discuss implementing broadbased tax relief in the next budget (just as long as it's within the parameters of their perspective budgets). Not to mention, while the PMO is at it, why not invite premier Danny Williams and Rodney Macdonald to tag along for the ride. I mean, let's be honest, it couldn't help but repair the diplomacy deficit which currently exist between both sides.