Blue Like You

Archive for November, 2007

Tonight the local CTV affiliate gave an update on the Kerwin Harrison story. The plight of the poor homeless man whose meager belongings were torched by vandals has certainly moved a lot of people, including myself.

Kerwin didn’t want to use a homeless shelter, because it meant abandoning his two dogs. Thanks to the publicity, a kind animal rescuer who lives on a farm took Kerwin in.

Tonight, an update revealed that Kerwin and his dogs are doing well. He said he has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community. His dogs are happy, warm and well-fed as is Kerwin. He is earning his keep by helping out at the farm, but plans to move back to Waterloo Region very soon. Apparently RIM may offer him a part-time job.

Anyway, I thought I would share this good news with all of you who were touched by the original story.

As one of my readers pointed out yesterday, the silver lining in the whole circus going on in Ottawa was that it stole the spotlight from McGuinty’s Throne Speech. Heh.

Too bad in one way. This was David Onley’s debut for the occasion as lieutenant-governor. I have nothing but great respect and admiration for the man.

However, the throne speech is another matter. McGuinty’s government could promise the moon, and I think many Ontarians (that didn’t vote Liberal) would be highly skeptical.

Some things I would prefer that he didn’t enact, such as the province-wide pesticide ban, but on the other hand at least there would be some continuity. Property rights would once again take a hit though. Oh wait, there aren’t any property rights in Canada…. Pierre left that one out of his beloved Charter.

Anyway, back to the throne speech. The Post doesn’t seem very impressed with the government’s plans to fight poverty - McGuinty’s phony war. As expected, the Star is gushing with praise.

The Sun thinks McGuinty has missed the important targets, while the Globe calls it ’short on specifics’.

Well, I don’t believe throne speeches in general are meant to be anything other than a hint of where the government’s priorities are. For the McGuinty Liberals that is obviously to stay in power. No threat there due to the Ontario voters’ decision to reward him for all the broken promises with another majority.

All in all, I think Christina Blizzard’s column is my favourite review - Ontario Neverland throne speech. At one point she mocks McGuinty’s Nanny-state penchant for bans:

In one of those curious, off-the-wall nanny state-type bans, the Libs are poised to ban trans fat from school cafeterias. Kind of reminds you of the attempted ban on sushi and the pitbull prohibition.

Tuck into those fries while you can, kids. The long arm of the broccoli cops will grab them some time soon.

If only Dalton would ban himself.

Perhaps he’ll do Ontario a favour and throw his hat into the next LPC leadership race.

(Updates at end)

Jason Kenney mentioned on MDL tonight that he hasn’t had one email from a constituent regarding Karlheinz Schreiber. Outside of Parliament, MSM and political junkies like you and I, one wonders how many people are talking about it.

What do you think?

Are ordinary Canadians at the local Timmy’s obsessed with KHS? Or is not even on their radar?

My guess is that Jason is right.

Well, the unions were solidly behind McGuinty during the election, and now begins payback time.

The labour movement is demanding that the province take a more aggressive stance in safeguarding union jobs. That usually means more money for them and more taxes for us.

Funny thing is that usually the lefties scorn corporate tax incentives, but they still want their high-paying, union jobs protected.

Anyway, at the end of this Star article (Unions turn screws on Liberals) there is an interesting bit of information about the infamous ‘Working Families Coalition‘:

Representatives of the building trades, teachers and firefighters were all at the convention. But their unions all worked along with the CAW to help elect Liberals in last month’s provincial election, either directly or indirectly through the “working families” coalition. They are unlikely to join any concerted anti-government protests.

It will be interesting to see how this all works out.

Meanwhile back in Caledonia, resident Ken Hewitt made it clear in an open letter to Michael Bryant that he expects much more involvement from the Minister than a quick photo-op:

In any event my concern lies with the comment you made regarding the HDI; a group that has no legitimacy, nor do they have lawful jurisdiction over land that has yet to be settled in any formal claims negotiations. I fully support and agree with your comment that no builder or developer should consult with such group, and that fees were not expected to be paid to any group; that they should trust the legal titles and registration process prescribed by the province. My question is why then does the provincial government not stand behind those statements. Furthermore your statement that,” natives will not be forcibly removed from any site” only serves to guarantee more protests like Caledonia’s. Most of us live our lives with an understanding that with behaviour come consequences. You have taken the consequences out of the equation and have given them a false of sense of power that will bring harm on them as well those they affect.

Today, as a result of your statements, the HDI has decided to test them by stopping a builder in Brantford indefinitely. The terms are to consult and to pay fees that you said he would not have to. I am afraid that he will be faced with little choice as your (our) government abandons him and leaves him on his own. You should know that just recently the HDI was involved in stopping a dump that was given the provincial go ahead to move forward. While that is a win for the environment, the fact that they are no longer there would suggest that the environment was not their agenda and that they have been or will be paid fees as well.

So the McGuinty government is going to have a few challenges in the next little while. I wonder how much more of our money they will spend to try and make it all go away?

Bob Rae takes offense to a comment erroneously attributed to him in today’s Post.

The ‘unelected Foreign Affairs Critic’ clears the air:

I did not, in fact, make these remarks. Canadians will know that I would not be that non-partisan do not believe Mr. Harper is on firm ground even at the best of times.

(H/T Bourque)

The heinous error appears to be corrected in the online version.

Steve Janke explains Stephane Dion’s sad and tragic flaw.

This story in today’s Record has been the lead story in the local news for a few days now - A New Home, a Fresh Start.

I find it shocking that someone who worked as a temp for a company like RIM as recently September could find himself out on the street so soon afterwards.

The response from the community has been overwhelming for Kerwin Harrison and his two dogs.

Last night the three of them slept in a warm home for the first time in five weeks; thanks to the generosity of a stranger.

Putting a human face to the poverty of the working poor is very motivating.

I’ll be thinking of Kerwin when I gather food for the Food Bank this Christmas.

I was really hoping someone else would pick up on this, but since I don’t see a post in Blogging Tories, I will proceed.

On MDL tonight, Duff interviews Environment Minister John Baird and discusses the ‘nasty’ atmosphere in Question Period.

The ever-pompous Thomas Mulcair was shown in a clip, right after Dion. He rants for a while, and then says this:

“…We’re talking about the greatest ecological crisis the world has ever faced. All of the scientists that have looked at this issue agree with it…”

All of the scientists???? There are no opposing scientific views? I had no idea.

Or is exaggeration also covered by ‘Parliamentary immunity’?

Tuesday - Exact quote from Hansard now available:

Mr. Speaker, we do not have hard targets. We do have aspirational goals, as in the void, the vacuum, created by the vacuous statements of that irresponsible government. We are talking about the greatest ecological crisis the world has ever faced. All of the scientists who have looked at this issue agree with it.

Well, it’s hardly surprising that the left-wing media are all over Harper like a pack of jackals. The Record has this editorial offering today - Harper drops the ball on climate change.

Here’s a classic line:

To be sure, implementing an international plan to deal with climate change will not be cheap. Every cleanup comes with a cost. Harper’s approach of waiting for all countries to be able to pay is naive. It will just delay the process. If rich and poor houses on a street were on fire, would Harper wait until everyone paid the same taxes before calling the fire brigade?

What a weak analogy!!!

For one thing, Harper isn’t ‘refusing to call the fire brigade’. He simply realizes that it’s pointless to fight a wildfire that’s engulfing a whole neighbourhood if the poorer houses refuse to have their gas turned off. No matter how hard you try to stop your own house from burning, the fire from your neighbour’s house is going to affect yours unless they stop it at the source.

Next they make this disingenuous comment:

Interestingly, Australia’s prime minister, John Howard, who opposed Kyoto, has just been defeated by Labour Leader Kevin Ruud, who has pledged to sign the accord. From both a policy and a political perspective, Harper would be wise to become a more ardent opponent of climate change.

Well, Dr. John Ray from Brisbane thinks Rudd’s stance is just so much hot air:

…And the resolve of Prime-minister-elect Kevin Rudd to sign the Kyoto treaty is a good example of such tokenism. Australia’s emissions of carbon dioxide are already in line with what most of Europe has achieved so the signing will make little difference.

It should also be noted that Rudd will have to get the treaty through the Senate and, in a quirk of Australian politics, he is unlikely to be able to do that until July, 2008. Senate membership does not change until then and the present Senate is conservative-dominated. So Rudd’s talk of “immediate” action is just the usual political flim-flam.

By contrast, the National Post has quite a different take on things than the Record - Standing tall in Uganda:

At the Commonwealth meeting in Uganda, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi professed himself “disappointed” with Mr. Harper’s stand. No wonder. Under the original draft, nations such as Malaysia would have been subject to no emission limits unless they were also recipients of large cash payments.

Putting aside this attempted cash grab, our more fundamental objection to Kyoto, and any plan that requires large-scale cuts in greenhouse gasses, is that it would hobble our economy — especially our already-struggling manufacturing sector. Mr. Dion may not admit it, but the drastic cuts he seeks would essentially kill whole industries — including, most likely, Ontario’s auto industry. In recent months, Mr. Harper has been accused of ignoring the financial needs of the Greater Toronto Area by snubbing its demands for more federal cash. Ironically, his rejection of the logic of Kyoto has, in one fell swoop, done more to help the region than any of the bailout schemes proposed by Mayor David Miller.

Exactly. With the auto manufacturing sector already on the skids and begging for help, signing Kyoto would only worsen an already troubled Ontario economy. People are losing their jobs. They have to eat and be housed.

And where does that money come from? Taxes.

Are you willing to pay the price?

Interesting debate going on at Cherniak’s about how he feels that gay men are being discriminated against by the Canadian Blood Services.

In this country where political correctness reigns supreme, I can only guess that the reason gay men are not allowed to donate blood is that the math and science must indicate the the risk is too great.

Yet some still rail on against it.

In Jason’s comments section, a reader mentions a gay columnist who had the courage to disclose the truth. I found the article - A bloody disgrace by Richard Burnett.

It closes with this line:

A ban on gay blood will continue to save lives. And just one life is worth it.

Straight (?) from the horse’s mouth, as it were.

It’s interesting how we are getting all this man-on-man sex pumped at us in the media lately, but when it comes down to it, there continues to be some medical issues about safety.

I know those on the left will have a field-day with this post. I have been purposely avoiding this issue for a while. However, some things need to be heard.

Like the truth.