I found this post the other day, if the government controls the armed forces and the police to a point were they will not question what the government wants, that is a dangerous situation. This may only be a minor problem now, however what about ten years from now or twenty years from now. What if they want to repress any democratic demonstrations involving environmental concerns, we all know this conservative government doesn't care about the environment. Where does this get us in the future?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Outrageous
While we focus on robocalls, there is another story on the political radar, one that is simply an outrageous ABUSE of power, that puts the impartiality of the military into question:
Defence Minister Peter MacKay almost ran from a military conference Friday morning as he dodged questions about emails that suggest military personnel were enlisted to help turn the tables on the opposition after revelations MacKay used a search-and-rescue helicopter during a fishing trip in 2010.
The emails show that on Sept. 22, one day after a TV report that MacKay had used a Cormorant helicopter to be taken from a private fishing lodge near Gander, N.L., military officials began searching for instances of opposition members using military aircraft.
This revelation demands an investigation, MacKay has effectively pimped out the military to do opp research on a political rival. In so doing, MacKay has made the Canadian military an arm of the Conservative Party, a simply astounding development. It is no wonder MacKay ran from reporters, because there is no credible way to reconcile this political interference, this behaviour crosses important lines.
No comment from Gen. Walter Natynczyk is simply not good enough, the military should be conducting its own investigation, because ultimately this tarnishes public perception. Is this my Canadian military, or are my tax dollars being abused to further a political party's interests? The military didn't initiate the MacKay story, journalists did, and yet the "counter" seems to be entirely political in scope, people otherwise invested in military matters scanning records looking for DIRT on a Liberal MP. The opposition isn't supposed to be the "enemy" that the military needs to expose, but effectively, here, they've taken a political side, they've become an active player and this represents an incredibly dangerous precedent.
MacKay can't run forever, this story deserves further attention.
Posted by Steve V at 8:38 AM 15 comments Links to this post
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Kelowna B.C.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Found another good blog post
WesternGrit
Western Grit - VERY ETHNIC
Monday, January 23, 2012
"Firewall" Harper's Firesale Continues...
After obliterating Canada's fiscal safety nets (multi year surpluses), Harper has set his aim at destroying Canada's environment, our First Nations, and now Healthcare. Read more in Ralph Goodale's weekly newsletter:
HARPER CANCELS FEDERAL ROLE IN HEALTHCARE
When he first came to power in 2006, Stephen Harper inherited a decade of surplus budgets, declining debt, declining taxes, and federal financial flexibility of $100 billion over five years.
It was an enviable position. The best in the western world.
Embedded in the fiscal framework was sufficient funding to implement the ground-breaking Kelowna Accord for Aboriginal people, achieve 80% of Canada’s international obligations on Climate Change, and launch a decade of rejuvenation in healthcare.
The Conservatives immediately cancelled work on Aboriginal issues and Climate Change. Consequently, Canada has become a global embarrassment on the environment, and we’ve spiraled downward from high Aboriginal hopes in Kelowna to the tragedy in Attawapiskat.
Most recently, healthcare too has been thrown under the bus.
Just before Christmas, Mr. Harper announced a new funding formula. Arbitrary. Unilateral. Non-negotiable. He’ll keep commitments Liberals put in place for three further years, but then cut back.
It’s dictatorial federalism, by brute force.
A couple of Premiers, like Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall, were hoping certain things could still be discussed with the feds – like healthcare innovation. But just before the Premiers met last week in Victoria, Mr. Harper bluntly told them all to get stuffed.
The biggest problem is not his typical crudeness, or even the short-term money he put on the table. The biggest problem – and danger – is Mr. Harper’s ruthless abandonment of any creative federal role to help make medicare better.
He says that’s exclusively a provincial problem. All the feds should do, according to him, is write a cheque – one, incidentally, that represents a steadily declining share of healthcare costs – and that’s it. Don’t even discuss anything substantive.
This attitude is absolutely guaranteed to fragment and balkanize Canadian medicare, creating a patchwork among provinces, and leaving many Canadians vulnerable.
In Stephen Harper’s Canada, it’s more important to spend billions on bigger jails.
Western Grit - VERY ETHNIC
Monday, January 23, 2012
"Firewall" Harper's Firesale Continues...
After obliterating Canada's fiscal safety nets (multi year surpluses), Harper has set his aim at destroying Canada's environment, our First Nations, and now Healthcare. Read more in Ralph Goodale's weekly newsletter:
HARPER CANCELS FEDERAL ROLE IN HEALTHCARE
When he first came to power in 2006, Stephen Harper inherited a decade of surplus budgets, declining debt, declining taxes, and federal financial flexibility of $100 billion over five years.
It was an enviable position. The best in the western world.
Embedded in the fiscal framework was sufficient funding to implement the ground-breaking Kelowna Accord for Aboriginal people, achieve 80% of Canada’s international obligations on Climate Change, and launch a decade of rejuvenation in healthcare.
The Conservatives immediately cancelled work on Aboriginal issues and Climate Change. Consequently, Canada has become a global embarrassment on the environment, and we’ve spiraled downward from high Aboriginal hopes in Kelowna to the tragedy in Attawapiskat.
Most recently, healthcare too has been thrown under the bus.
Just before Christmas, Mr. Harper announced a new funding formula. Arbitrary. Unilateral. Non-negotiable. He’ll keep commitments Liberals put in place for three further years, but then cut back.
It’s dictatorial federalism, by brute force.
A couple of Premiers, like Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall, were hoping certain things could still be discussed with the feds – like healthcare innovation. But just before the Premiers met last week in Victoria, Mr. Harper bluntly told them all to get stuffed.
The biggest problem is not his typical crudeness, or even the short-term money he put on the table. The biggest problem – and danger – is Mr. Harper’s ruthless abandonment of any creative federal role to help make medicare better.
He says that’s exclusively a provincial problem. All the feds should do, according to him, is write a cheque – one, incidentally, that represents a steadily declining share of healthcare costs – and that’s it. Don’t even discuss anything substantive.
This attitude is absolutely guaranteed to fragment and balkanize Canadian medicare, creating a patchwork among provinces, and leaving many Canadians vulnerable.
In Stephen Harper’s Canada, it’s more important to spend billions on bigger jails.
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