Blue Like You

Archive for September 19th, 2008

So if Stephane Dion really is abandoning the Green Shift, is he also planning to abandon his plan to fight poverty?

Or if not, where is that money coming from?

Just askin’.

Perhaps Mr. Dion should take a few days off and relax.  You know, sit back with Kyoto and open up a fine bottle of that Viagra Wine.

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Update: MDL - Craig Oliver says this is going to be ‘humiliating’ for Dion.

And who’s got the ‘hidden agenda’ now? Will they resurrect the Green Shift after the election if they win?

CTV - Liberals deny ’shifting’ gears on the ‘Green Shift".

So what’s Monte Solberg been up to lately?

I was quite surprised to read an article by him in today’s Ottawa Sun (at least I assume it’s the Monte Solberg) - No Party with Leaders.

It’s actually quite an amusing little piece, much like a fine Merlot.

One of my favourite lines regarding Jack Layton:

…Unfortunately, just saying "Green Collar Jobs" and clicking your heels together won’t buy groceries and pay the mortgage.

Incredibly I can’t even find a mention of crime issues on the NDP website, a big issue for the blue collar workers he’s courting. Sometimes Jack also comes across as way too pleased with himself in a way that makes you want to give him a noogie."

Oh yeah…

- And about Elizabeth May:

…She’s a nice person, and the kind of person I would consult on buying organic soap from the farmers’ market…

Heh.

Oh dear. I hope you don’t have to issue an apology Monte. Oh yeah, you’re not running again. Lucky you.

Read his piece slowly, and enjoy.

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Update : More on Monte from a recent Calgary Sun article by Rick Bell.

Today I’ll probably be putting out several shorter posts due to a plethora of topics out there.

The first is Don Martin’s column, which touches on the latest of Tory gaffes, but then focuses on the cost of election promises - Less ritz, more restraint.

Martin explains how the timely exposure of Ritz’s conference call handily deflected what would have been a scathing Conservative attack on excessive Liberal spending promises:

It was Stephen Harper’s clearest and cleanest shot yet at discrediting his main opponent, but his party’s "sorry" campaign threw him off script. Again.

On the day when the Liberals practically begged Mr. Harper to attack them for putting on the ritz with a spending-spree platform topped by a massive $70-billion boost yesterday, a different Ritz stole Mr. Harper’s thunder and pushed the gaffe-plagued Conservatives back on the defensive.

OK, bad pun, but of course we’re talking about Gerry Ritz, the mild-mannered Agriculture Minister with a warped sense of humour who forgot conference calls can be taped and sick jokes preserved until leaked for maximum political damage. ..

The Never Ending story of Liberal and NDP election promises was discussed in an earlier post, which highlighted concerns that perhaps this is not the best economic environment to be introducing huge spending programs. Ordinary Canadians are having to tighten their belts and so should governments. Yes, we should be there to help the needy, but we should also have an eye on the bottom line and staying economically viable.

Martin seems to be suggesting that some of the leaders seem out of touch with current thinking and that voters are wary of this kind of electioneering strategy:

…Voters no longer want a government to brighten their lives with new cradle-to-grave government program protection.

They will settle for a solid seat belt that will hold their lifestyles at status quo if that economic light at the end of the tunnel is actually an oncoming train.

So while Mr. Harper moves on multiple fronts with modest, affordable pockets of cash to help women entrepreneurs, first-time homebuyers and truck drivers, Mr. Dion seems out of synch by promising the classic grab-bag of Liberal handouts for daycare, immigration, tuition, health care and big city relief…

Bob Rae says the massive spending plans will hinge on an audit, which conveniently provides the Liberals with an accountability escape hatch. (And we can always trust Bob Rae on economic issues anyway, right?)

The other parties have a slim-to-none chance of forming the next government, so they can promise anything they want - world peace, the end of global warming, free dental care - you name it.

How stupid do they think we are?

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Update: O.K.  This post ran a bit longer than I intended too. More to come later.