Blue Like You

Archive for October 2nd, 2007

Just announced on MDL - The Liberal candidate for Joliette is leaving the party due to lack of confidence in Mr. Dion.

Caught off-guard, Scott Brison’s reaction was something along the line of well once Canadians get to know Stephane Dion, they’ll like him.

Apparently the candidate from Joliette never had the pleasure.

Update to follow when links available.

6:12 P.M. Update - Here we go: CTV.

Courtesy of National Newswatch - Watch it right here.

H/T to Matt for this story - Man charged in pregnant woman’s stabbing death.

It really bothers me that someone can murder both a woman and her unborn child in Canada, but only one charge of murder can be laid:

While the woman and her baby were both killed, police can only lay one charge of murder.

“The law in Canada doesn’t allow for the killing of an unborn fetus,” Grinton said.

The terminology is interesting. The CTV article actually uses the word ‘baby’.

But Sgt. Grinton uses the phrase ‘unborn fetus’. So can there be a ‘born’ fetus?

My question is, if the pregnancy is just a bunch of tissue, why even mention in the article that the woman is pregnant? What is the point?

If she had a tumour would they make mention of that too?

Woman and hideous growth murdered in Toronto.

Matt laments that somehow crime isn’t an issue this election.

I lament that we can continue to delude ourselves on the subject of pre-born murders.

Remember Manjit Panghali?

In keeping with his promise of getting rid of the hated health tax, John Tory explains the first stage of its elimination:

“One of my immediate priorities as Premier will be to eliminate Dalton McGuinty’s regressive tax for every single Ontarian earning between $20,000 and $30,000 a year,” Tory said. “On January 1, 2008, one million hard-working Ontarians will see their tax burden reduced – the very people who were hardest hit by Dalton McGuinty’s massive tax hike.”

Well, John, I don’t like to be negative, but I’ve had a lot of Liberal supporters tell me they really like that health tax.

So, maybe you could phase it out for everyone but them.

Just so they don’t miss old Dalton too much.

Today is a wonderful day in Lemming Land.

Four years ago today the 2003 Ontario election ended, and as this news release notes, “every day of that campaign that Dalton McGuinty made a promise, Dalton McGuinty made a promise that he broke.”

Sandy brings us up to speed on all those broken promises here.

But hey, Ontario. This is what you live for, right?

Never mind that some people are actually suggesting that we may need some kind of reform in education; maybe even a voucher system? And *gasp* competition? And actually firing incompetent teachers?

No, that’s not the Ontario way. We are the way we are and we’re not going to change.

Even if we’re left behind.

According to pollster Nik Nanos, president of SES Research, the Ontario Liberal Party is moving into majority territory at the expense of the NDP (H/T National Newswatch). Women voters, in particular, seem to be heading in that direction:

“New Democratic women are moving out of the NDP column and into the Liberal column, potentially to block John Tory,” Nanos said.

The poll indicates Liberal support among women rose by 11 per cent over the past week and more than half of all women — 53 per cent — now say they intend to vote Liberal.

It appears much of that movement came at the expense of the NDP, which saw its support among women fall by 10 points to 13 per cent.

However, the survey was obviously conducted prior to John Tory’s announcement yesterday, so anything could happen over the next week.

Margaret Wente has some positive things to say about the PC leader, but wonders if he’ll be the best Premier Ontario never had.

I guess when it comes down to it, being open and honest in politics is not always a winning strategy.

Sad state of affairs for Ontario.

(Updated Tuesday a.m.)

Newsflash - Local PC Candidate Matt Stanson to be a guest on 570’s Jeff Allan show this morning.

Ah, there’s nothing like a good old All-Candidates’ debate to evoke that grass-roots feeling of democracy.

It must be humbling for the incumbent to have to endure a ‘job review’ as he referred to it. Candidates were forced to field all kinds of questions.

I was able to cross off the Family Coalition guy after he referred to homosexuality being a ‘disease’ that is ’spreading’. That was pretty out there even for a So-Con like me. And that was in his introduction! No one had even asked a question relating to homosexuality. His platform was basically about the virtues of self-reliance and the importance of family as a cornerstone of society. I definitely agree with the latter.

The Green Party candidate made the statement that “most of Europe” is already meeting the Kyoto protocol. I didn’t know that.

The NDP candidate tried to lecture us on the plight of the poor from his comfy position as a teacher with great benefits and a nice pension to look forward to. He is a good speaker though, and should do quite well.

The Liberal incumbent (John Milloy) patted himself on the back at every opportunity and evaded the questions in a masterful display. ( I think they teach them this in ‘Liberal school’.) He listed his successes and kept mentioning the plans for a new ‘Highway 7‘ as one of them, even though the natives may have something to say about it.

John is a nice guy though. One thing about him - he’s answered just about every email I’ve ever sent him (unlike a certain federal Liberal MP who shall remain nameless).

Now we get to the PC candidate (Matt Stanson), whom of course had to address the issue of Faith-based funding. He was quite pleased to relay the day’s events to us - that John Tory had promised a free vote, so MP’s would be allowed to vote their conscience and ‘represent the wishes of their constituents’.

Matt said that the message came through loud and clear on the hustings - The overwhelming response was a ‘no’ to faith-based funding, so that is the way he would vote.

I had a little chat with him afterwards and felt quite reassured that he would indeed represent the will of the riding, which is really what it’s all about.

If my beliefs are at odds with the majority, too bad for me but I can live with it.

Yes, democracy still lives.

Go to an all-candidates’ debate if you still can.

You won’t be disappointed.