Today on Canada Day, the Toronto Sun features a debate between Lorrie Goldstein and Paul Berton titled Whoa Canada, which discusses possible reasons for a supposed lack of patriotism among some Canadian demographics.
However, a recent Harris-Decima poll found that a clear majority of Canadians are very proud of their country:
The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey asking Canadians to rank their pride in Canada on a scale of one to 10 found 57 per cent gave it the highest mark.
Another 25 per cent gave it an eight or a nine, while just 3 per cent ranked their pride lower than a five.
Personally, I can’t think of a country I’d rather live in. However, there are concerns bubbling under the surface that require our attention. Jeffrey Simpson’s Globe editorial hones in on some issues that seem to be taboo in Canadian society today:
…Is it boredom, political correctness, entrenched self-interest, self-satisfaction or moral superiority that creates so many no-fly zones for debate in this curious country?
There is the sacred cow of supply management in agriculture about which no politician will utter the faintest moo of criticism. Immigration is doing more to change and challenge Canada than any other development, yet we can’t seem to debate it, even though the evidence is piling up that immigration isn’t working as well for the country as it once did. One province, Alberta, is becoming so much richer than the rest that it will strain all sorts of federal policies, but we can’t talk about it.
Nor can there be a debate about medicare. Canada’s system ranks somewhere in the middle of the health-care pack in international studies, yet Canadians cling to it fervently and believe it to be the best in the world.
We can’t use "productivity" without instilling fear and loathing in the public. Competition is a dirty sort of word. The native reserve system is taboo for debate….
One issue that he seems to have overlooked is the threat to our freedom of speech which is at the very heart of democracy. Rex Murphy considers the ongoing HRC fiasco the most under-reported story of the year.
It is indeed disturbing that this Conservative government has taken so long to acknowledge the problem, although some MPs seem to be opening their eyes lately. It is ironic though that it look a Liberal private member’s motion to focus Parliament’s attention on this travesty.
However, we now have Liberal Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty trying to subsidize and streamline the process to encourage even more complaints at taxpayer expense!
And where is the outrage, Canada?
Or are we already so browbeaten by the PC Police that we no longer have a voice?
Are we being forced to be tolerant? Have they really been successful in changing our thoughts, or are we just too afraid to open our mouths any more?
So on this Canada Day, please consider how much complacency and fear are threatening to destroy this beautiful country that we hold so dear.
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Update: For a more light-heartened look at Canada Day, check out ChuckerCanuk.
Live broadcasting of Canada Day events this afternoon from Parliament Hill.
1:30 pm – Blue Rodeo onstage.
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A Canada Day resolution: Don’t let your politicians do your thinking for you .
And how about that Morgentaler guy for Order of Canada, eh?
…Strangely, both Morgentaler and last year the architect of homosexual ‘marriage’ in Canada were awarded the nation’s highest honor under the Conservative Government…
Joanne says:
“Personally, I can’t think of a country I’d rather live in.”
I tend to agree except we are overtaxed to the point that I almost feel it’s like a privilege to live in this country. It’s simply too cold and harsh of a country where we have to be indoors most of the year to pay so much tax IMO. If we had weather like say California I would’nt mind as much taxation. A country where it cost all those extras to survive: Heating, snow tires, extra clothes, wear and tear on vehicles that last 1/4 the life of a southern US car, pricier homes with extra insulation, etc…For me, life stuck indoors is a lot to pay already.
Anyway, enough bitching…Have a great Canada day Joanne, keep up the great blog….And to all my fellow Canucks that are patriotic enough to care about politics which make them visit Blogging Tories, no matter what political affiliation you currently are: HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!
Simpson for once is right that there are so many taboo subjects that in some cases we have been forced into complete stagnation. Healthcare is a good example. I think a lot of people are in favour of some kind of mix of public funding and private care, but its the kiss of death for politicians to go down this road. “Universal Healthcare for everyone” becomes the mantra, although healthcare doesn’t cover things like dental, eye care, physio, etc anyway. It’s not even free anymore in a number of provinces.
And if it’s not the politicans jumping all over each other, it’s the talking heads on TV, who seem to be able to dredge up so-called experts on every subject under the sun to tell us just how wrong any change to the status quo is.
On the subject of HRC, here is an interesting quote from Warren Kinsella a couple of days ago :
“Will the Harper regime kill the federal commission? No. Not while they continue to be a minority government.
But if they somehow secure a majority, federal protection of human rights are as good as gone. And you’ll be able to thank Steyn and his detractors for that. ”
Classy comment, eh ?
Just listening to General Hillier being interviewed on CTV for the Canada Day celebrations – now there is someone with real class who makes you proud to be Canadian.
Happy Canada Day !
Thousands attend at Parliament Hill, but Peter tries to downplay the number. Just saw the GG arrive, and not one drop of red or white on her outfit, her daughters or the spouse. Can’t notice if they even have a flag pin on.
GG – have you considered the fact that we are a physically large (huge) country, and that we have a very small tax base?
It is expensive to live in this country. It has to be. Unlike the US and many Europeancountires, we do not have enough people here to provide a large tax base. Our government must establish and maintain infrastructure in remote communities. Not to mention the fact that I believe our tax rates in this country are comperable with many industrialized countries.
I say this with a caveat – and that is that I am no expert on taxation rates. I did a quick google search and came up with some recent European rates in this article about Obama’s plan.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/wm1973.cfm
Here are the Canadian rates:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/individuals/faq/taxrates-e.html
From my reading, the top income tax rate in Canada is 47% – 29% federal tax plus the highest provicial tax which is NB at almost 18%.
Again, I could be reading these wrong since when it comes to numbers and figures I am all thumbs.
But if I am correct then many European countries have tax rates higher than here. I am also told by a friend who used to live in Australia the tax rate there is much higher than here – and Australia would be similar to Canada in that it is a sparsely populated country that is geographically large.
Of course, Alberta’s provincial tax is quite low. At the same time the government cut taxes, they initiated user fees for services that used to be free – like licences, land title searches etc. We have been paying a health care premium for as long as I can remember, although apparently that will end.
PMSH said it looked like the largest crowd ever for Canada Day at the Hill. Funny, same crowd and Peter tries to pretend it is the smallest. It is said when all the lawns are full, they would hold about 50,000, and Peter says if you pushed everyone together it might be about 20,000 there.
Looks like the lawns are full to me, with moving around room.
Spin spin spin and the wheels go round and round on the cbc bus. Pathetic.
At least this time viewers can see the lies instead of just listening to them.
So you think the media is so biased that they are lying about how many Canadians are on Parliamnet Hill to celebrate Canada day? Are you suggesting the more people there, the more popular Harper is?
Since when is celebrating Canada Day about politics?
I think Canada is in good hands at the moment, but we do face a frightening prospect of further eroding our freedoms with the march of the politically correct progressivists. I fear a Canada in which my son grows up hated by the children of immigrants who have been taught in schools by white Liberals that he is the enemy. I fear a freedom of speech encumbered by what the majority consider is “fair comment”.
I fear the future historical revisions of our forefathers as being the racist enemies of the minority underclasses they exploited, the continued erosion of Canadian heritage through forced multiculturalism, and continued segregation of our large cultural enclaves of anti-assimilationists and HRC complainants.
The only way to preserve it all is to keep the only party in Canada who doesn’t self-identify with progressives and anti-war demonstrators.
Drivers licences and car/truck licences and others for boats etc have always had a charge. That charge is much higher but we still paid. Same for land title searches, at least we paid over 50 yrs ago when we bought a farm.
There have been taxes on gas for over 50 years, raised and lowered to get votes.
User fees were introduced so only those using or needing a service paid. I wish there was a user fee for abortions, of at least 1000.00 dollars.
Every year there are at least 60 changes to the tax form, some major, some minor, some provincial and some federal. To try and get usuable results from going to web sites is a lost cause. You need to get a computer tax program, do you taxes and then change your province of residence to really see the difference. By doing this, Alberta wins hands down.
Who remembers when you had to get a licence or permit to buy booze, or have a radio in your home. Those were federal taxes.
Since when is celebrating Canada Day about politics?
Since when does a day become immune to political commentary?
Talk about putting words in someones mouth. I just reported what was said by Peter and the PM.
According to man in the street interviews, most of those people were there for the entertainment, Blue Rodeo. Oh, and Peter just said the RCMP just reported more than 50,000 there and Peter is backtracking. He said the PM said it was the largest crowd and it seems he was right.
“So you think the media is so biased that they are lying about how many Canadians are on Parliamnet Hill to celebrate Canada day? Are you suggesting the more people there, the more popular Harper is?
Since when is celebrating Canada Day about politics?’
I think it became about politics a few years back when the media accused Harper of having the stage painted blue bcause Conservative’s were in power.
I’ll have to do a little digging, but remember I posted pictures on blogs of the same stage from previous years when Liberal’s were in power painted the same light blue color.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/230790
“Since when does a day become immune to political commentary?”
It doesn’t, and I was not saying that.
Just listening to General Hillier being interviewed on CTV for the Canada Day celebrations – now there is someone with real class who makes you proud to be Canadian.
Thanks for that tip, Jad.
Hillier interview available here.
Gayle i think its time for you to get out of Alberta and head for the wilds of Toronto if you cant hack the fees.You sound more and more like the loonie libs of Toronto,(who want everything for free) than an Albertan.Your probably one of the Libs in alberta trying to get the Conservatives defeated for being too successful.Pity.The Conservatives are too honest for you eh Gayle,You yearn for the corruption of the libs.Well this is Canada day and there are over 100,000 people on the hill because i was there and counted them.Prove me wrong.The CBC are biased and cant count.
bert, in that wild rant of yours, did you ever consider that I did not claim I could not handle fees?
I can pay fees because I happen to have a decent income.
I prefer income taxes to fees because that way the costs are proportionate to your earnings. Flat fees are unfair to people who have low incomes.
In any event, my point was that one reason Klein was able to give us a low rate was because he increased the fees for some things, and started charging for others.
That is all.
MaryT’s comment looked like an assessment of tendency of Peter Mainsbridge to skew the facts, and if it appears to be a slant against PMSH on the part of Peter …well yes it was!
Isn’t there a Lib blog celebrating Dominion Day somewhere gayle?…you could hang out there…and maybe have more fun!
On the national tonight, Peter said that over seventy five thousand people come out to the Hill today to celebrate. And, people vote for many reasons and one of them is, I met so and so, or that candidate come to my house, and today there will be many who will vote for PMSH because he shook their hands. And, lots of those kids there, that he shook hands with or talked to, or his wife did, will vote for conservatives in the future, because I met the PM, or he took my flower etc. Some may laught at this but it is true. My kids were very young when Dief cancelled the arrow. They had models of said plane, read the comic strip etc. At the age of 10, my oldest said I will never vote for that man. When he turned 18 and was going to vote for the first time, he said, who cancelled the arrow again. It wasn’t till Reform come along that he changed his vote from whoever was on the ballot other than a PC.
“Isn’t there a Lib blog celebrating Dominion Day somewhere gayle?”
Not likely. The Liberals are the reason we no longer have Dominion Day, having rammed the name change through the House using deceit and trickery, the standard Liberal modus operandi. Nothing is sacred to them unless it involves erasing our heritage and replacing it with some sterile, meaningless Liberal symbols that reflect their vision of Canada (the Liberal Leaf flag) or scoring cheap political points (lowering the flag on the Peace Tower was a ploy by Chretien to embarass the Americans over the Afstan friendly-fire incident, not because he gave a tinker’s cuss about the dead Canadian servicemen).
Next on the chopping block: the national anthem. The Red Ensign and Dominion Day weren’t good enough and apparently neither is the anthem.
Yes Joanne it is disgusting that the abortionist got the award. Tax payed abortions are not good for Canada.
I do hope you all saw the stmt made by PMSH re the Order of Canada. I am sure Peter had a hard time with that clip and showing the actual stmt. He said the the government has no involvement with who received those medals. There is a committee of ten who make the choices and guess who is #1, Beverly Mc, the chief justice of the SSC, along an ethisist, (sp) a professor and a few others.
It appears to me that this committee is out to award anyone and everyone who can embarass this govt. I hope someone captured that clip before it is removed from the cbc site (if it even appeared)
How low will liberals go to get back into the trough.
He said the the government has no involvement with who received those medals.
Thanks for clarifying this, Mary T.
It appears to me that this committee is out to award anyone and everyone who can embarass this govt.
So you think they did this to discredit the Conserative government? I wonder how those committee members are chosen.
I would think this committee is appointed the same way lots of committees, boards, etc are chosen. I think the story said the govt can appoint 2 members, but never said how long such appointments are for.
I do know that about 20 years ago an org I belonged to thought xx should get the medal. Letters were written, testimonials were asked for, petitions were sent out etc. I can’t remember if she got it, but I do know that somebody has to come up with a deserving (in their opinion) name, then work very hard to get it even on a list to be considered.
I would imagine that committee members also submit names. I also bet, that by the end of the day, someone will post all the info about who, when, where and why someone is awarded said award.
This is the first time I have ever heard of the PM coming out with a stmt to claify the govt does not pick the winners.
This award has also been taken away from some, so all is not lost.
This could be another ploy to divide the country just before an expected election. We can work to have the medal returned, after we get our majority.
Travers referred to the green plan as bait that the govt took, this award might also be bait.
Thanks, Mary T. Many Canadians are outraged today. I just listened to a talk show about this and people are phoning in and saying they’re taking down their Canadian flags.
It’s a sad day for Canada.
New post up, BTW.
How many medical procedures or tests do we have to pay for ourselves, eye exams, dental work, some diagnotic tests to name a few. Why don’t these women have to pay for their abortions. If they are so necessary, and doctors are so caring, why don’t they do them for free. How many tax dollars have gone into Ms bank account because he is such a caring and compassionate man.
Quit funding abortions with taxpayers money. If anything should be user pay, it should be abortions.
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