Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me a hundred times...?

Another issue the Harper government has decided they know better than Canadians in general. What I don't get is why they even try to keep most of this stuff secret -- 9 times out of 10, it'll get out, somehow.

Of course, with the Liberals effectively leaderless right now (damnit Dion, grow a freaking pair), there really isn't much alternative to Harper right now. Layton seems to have calmed down again, but, I admit I'm governed by my fears in this case, remembering Bob Rae's thought that "We learned too late that the politics of opposition are not the same as the politics of government. The politics of protest are not the politics of power." And I'm not convinced Layton understands that.

Tags: politics - canada

( My first thought when I read... )

Tags: politics - canada, sports

The Harper government certainly seems to have taken a page out of George W. Bush's book -- the ordinary citizen doesn't need to know what's going on. Maybe the ordinary citizen does, maybe it doesn't, but the ordinary citizen sure as hell should have the damned opportunity to look if they so desire.

Or, as I sometimes wonder, are they so afraid of the truth becoming public, and, if so, what does that say about the truth? More importantly, what does that say about the Conservatives, who were supposed to represent a change to the ethical good in the wake of the Liberals?

Tags: politics - canada

( Read more... )

Tags: interesting links, politics - canada

( Reap what you sow )

Tags: politics - canada

In particular, I find this idea particularly offensive:

An expert panel appointed by the Harper government recently recommended a sharp reduction in the types and number of occasions when the Peace Tower flag is lowered, in order to preserve its significance.

A Canadian dying in service to his country isn't significant?

We SHOULD be reminded every time a Canadian dies somewhere in service to Canada. We need to be reminded that there is a price to our policies, to our choices -- that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and sometimes that price is paid in blood.

Now, I can understand that people are worried about 'the cry wolf syndrome' -- but the solution there isn't to lower the flag less often -- the solution is to make sure that when we send men and women overseas to die, they die for a cause worth dying for.

If the lowering of the flag to half mast on the Peace Tower ever "loses its significance", Canada and Canadians have a bigger problem than a fading tradition.

Tags: interesting links, politics - canada

Tags: politics - canada

Tories to reintroduce bills to elect senators, limit terms to eight years

Now, I've seen a whole bunch of plans to reform the Senate. Some I like, some I don't. But, when you fundamentally alter the balance of power at the federal level (and what these proposed laws do is create more of an American political structure, WITHOUT the check that the head of government is not necessarily the de facto head of state), it should be a Constitutional amendment. It should be something that ALL Canadians agree with strongly enough to put into place.

Otherwise, what will happen is that we'll have an elected senate as long as its 'popular' (and, essentially, this is a move to support the Conservative party's Western base), and then, when government switches, they can repeal the law and, all of a sudden, things are back the way they were. Parties should NOT be allowed to change the rules to benefit themselves. That's why, for example, I find the concept of gerrymandering so abhorrent, and why that, as long as that concept exists, I don't believe ANY political party's claim to being moral and just.

Before you can have justice, before you can have fairness, you first must, MUST have consistency.

Tags: politics - canada

Tags: interesting links, politics - canada