Another thing - both Martin and Layton have attended a meeting and taken questions from the audience but Harper still won't accept an invitation. Also the Sunday show with Evan Solomon has issued several inviitiation to him to come on the show but he won't - I bet he will try to operate like Bush who also hates the press and is called the most isolated President in history.

Another important fact that is kept out of the papers is the fact that he won his suit against the govt in June 2004 which allows lots of corporate lobby money in elections. Google: AN UGLY COURT VICTORY FOR THE NATIONAL CITIZENS COALITION
<
nupge.ca/news_2002/news_de02/n17de02a.htm

Those shows were on the CBC - I wonder if he will try to get rid of our national broadcasting co.???

Bang on REBEL.
A "Rebel Yell" (Billy Idol) is certainly needed!

I've just mailed my overseas vote and yes it wsan't for Stephen Harper and the Conservatives!

If Harper wins a majority I guess I'll be happy to stay in Korea a little longer. Especially with Gordo and the Lieberals at the provincial level too.

I really wish for not just electoral reform, but to be quite frank the end of all politics!
It sucks!

Kevan Hudson
South Korea

Yes
The aussie model, confiscating pump action shotguns from farmers while Lebanese’s gangs machine gun police stations.

sounds like a good place for you former bc boy. pump it up tyee. you're outdoing yourself this time. will every article between now and the election regard a smear-campaign and fearmongering? perhaps you should try talking about what the other parties might do for the country every once in a while beers.

In Australia they have incited Racism and Howard's policies around immigration have helped him.

The reason oppositions have failed to be effective in these times is because many in the opposition are for free-trade and others have been afraid. They lack the courage to stand up against these people because they've witnessed the smear, bully tactics. Those who are for free-trade won't rock the boat. Especially when their campaign doners don't want them too.

The people need a leader who'll starting calling it like it is. That means rocking the establishment.

want them to...

Elliot:

Yes. Every article from now to election day will have the same "spin".

Could you please provide me with a link to your blog so I can read some more of your witty discourse. I also really appreciate the drive-by-smearing's lack of capitalization.

If you don't currently have a blog you can turn the whole non-capitalization issue to your favor. Call your blog: "capitals are for punishment not punctuation".

Mr. Harper has come up with a number of attractive policies along with some real clunkers. But policy does not seem to affect the voters choices much.

The Liberals' have been the issue. Not the Liberal record which Mr. Harper promise to contine in large part, not the promised platforms have made a difference to voters.

The undefended charges of wrong-doing against the Liberals have turned the election into an, "anyone but the Liberals" decision for most voters.

That is why we know so little and care so little about what kind of government Mr.Harper might provide. He has convinced us to ignore his policies and vote against the corruption of the Liberals based on allegations that have never resulted in any charges against any Liberal caucus member.

So it doesn't matter that he has advisors from the USA and Australia. It doesn't matter what he believes or what he will do. All that matters to Canadians is that he is not a Liberal.

That is the informed choice we appera to be making.

The problem with Richard's article is that the Libs have been in power for 13 years. By implication that means the Cons have continued to lose for 13 years. So how is there any connection between a guy who hasn't actually won anything yet and a dynasty like Howard's?

Does this mean that Harper is going to make Canada part of the willing? Troops to Iraq?

Only one problem: we don't have any troops. Just as the Americans are having great difficulty recruiting because most potentials don't want to end up in body bags or crippled, so I suggest that any Canadian attempt to create new military units to send to Iraq (or calling up the reserves) will not meet with much success.

Have faith, folks! Keep repeating to yourselves: "Stockwell Day, the next minister of foreign affairs, believes the world is 6000 years old and that Adam and Eve rode to church on the back of a dinosaur"

It is not enough to get elected! You have to do something right when in office. Conservatives have a well deserved reputation for shooting themselves in the feet, and I have faith that the new boy on the block is going to find out that one college degree does not a government make.

R. Smiley

just heard on the cbc that there's a direct correlation between the decline of the liberal's popularity and the sale of depends. looks now like the maritimers, who have traditionally been the most opportunistic and least principled voters in the country, are turning blue as it becomes more likely that the tories will win next election. can you say majority?

.

Ah, Elliot...you are a true blue Harper boy, aren't you. What a smug, bigoted little bastard you are.

only someone who knows absolutely nothing about the political and social history of this nation could view that observation as a bigoted statement lynn. perhaps you should go out and actually learn something sometime. otherwise quit wasting my time with such ridiculous claims.

Lynn: Good comment. I could almost hear Elliot use a capital letter.

good comment? hope you're not using your real name here.

Nope, Bigoted, with a capital B, Elliot.

When you smear a whole group of people you reveal your prejudices...just as Harper did in his derogatory comment about Maritimers.

Such disregard and disrespect...and such hypocrisy as you make a play for their vote...

"opportunistic and least principled", you say...look in the mirror..but don't scare yourself.

I was kind of surprised that the Lib didn't bring in some heavy hitters from The Democratic Party to strategize on this election, maybe John Carey, Ted Kennedy or Michael Moore. But, oh I forgot, they are losers who couldn't come up with an original idea to save their wretched souls.

Ron, just out of curiousity, what original idea do you think you or any righty here or anyone in Harper's party has come up with in the past year or two?

I'm just curious since you beat this drum all the time.

lynn; you won't go far with that one darling. educated people actually know the history of voting patterns in the maritimes, as do the maritimers themselves. today pei's premier was urging islanders to vote conservative b/c they will be holding power. nothing new here. very customary. glad i could help with your education. pass it on to 'michael clift'.

Frank, reduce the GST by 27% from 7% to 5%.
Give parents with children under 6 years old $1,200.00 per child for childcare.
there are two, but sorry I got to go to the Pub and whatch the Edmonton Oiler game, I will talk to you later.

Hey Elliot:

Is it coincidence that you can only capitalize your own name? Or are you really that self-centred and is that where your voting pattern comes from?

You should contact Elsie Wayne and discuss her fellow Atlantic Canadians lack of convictions. I've never heard anyone stand up and yell as loud as she did spouting hatred for gay people.

You claim to educated, but in reality you are an ignorant troll. An anonymous ignorant troll at that.

Ron, do you even know who John Carey [sic] is?

Ron, with all due respect, the Cons were elected in 1984 and later brought in a 7% GST. Deciding 22 years later to reduce that to 5% is not grounds for claiming original thought.

Also, after a 13+ year debate about child-care and a Liberal promise to create a national child care plan repeated and never implemented for all 13 of those years, I somehow doubt deciding on a tax break instead qualifies as original thought either.

Traditionally opportunistic and unprincipled... yah. That sounds like a Conservative to me, at least, its what they call themselves now after shedding their skin so many times.

I think these last two articles are pretty poor, as well as most of the articles on Harper. They keep on quoting "rhetorical parts" of past speeches without actually examining the effects of the policy.

Harper has no hidden agenda, its clear and has been, and we don't need to talk about evolution of his thoughts. For certain, his campaign has evolved as has his PR skills, but his core principles haven't changed. However, as a potential leader of the country, I think he realizes that what is best for ALberta is not best for Canada.

Rather than focussing on the myths, there is plenty of real information to go after:

CPC plans to roll back drug decriminalization
The jurisdictional rights of provinces versus the federal government.
Equalization formulas.
Military spending and value.

And many more.

Lets clear this one up. It wasn't "drug" decrim, it was just for marijuana. The bill never happened, it just kept getting pushed back. Many anti-prohibitionists consider this a good thing, as the bill failed to address the entire issue of a black market, and targeted the wrong things. Where today I can smoke a joint on any street in Vancouver, if decrim had passed, I could get a ticket for it!

What the conservatives will do is toughen the laws for non-violent drug offenders, just as America has. Forget a fine and community service, it's time to fill up the jails with those dangerous pot smokers!

Mike,
I don't think that a priority of the Con is to throw every pot smoker in jail.
Why would they go through all the hassle to do this, when they have already and very clearly said that they are after dangerous criminals.
Now if you have commercial, large scale pot growing operation, and your distributors are involved with organized crime, who trade pot for gun's you should be in trouble brother.
So relax, we know that the pot world isn't going to change anytime soon.
We don't need Government involved in anymore stuff unless they have a clear, scientific, consensus building idea that doesn't involve the Supreme Court to wipe their bummies.

HI Ron,

There is two things that would make me believe that you are incorrect. First, Harper's Burkean viewpoints (Right Agenda, 2003):

"This descent into nihilism should not be surprising because moral relativism simply cannot be sustained as a guiding philosophy. It leads to silliness such as moral neutrality on the use of marijuana or harder drugs mixed with its random moral crusades on tobacco. It explains the lack of moral censure on personal foibles of all kinds, extenuating even criminal behaviour with moral outrage at bourgeois society, which is then tangentially blamed for deviant behaviour. On the moral standing of the person, it leads to views ranging from radical responsibility-free individualism, to tribalism in the form of group rights. "

Secondly from the 2006 the Conservative Platform:

"The Liberals have put Canada on the road to drug legalization. This must stop."

CPC will:
"Prevent the decriminalization of marijuana."
"End house arrests and ensure mandatory minimum prison sentences and large monetary fines for serious drug offenders, including marijuana grow operators"

dangrice,
You said it " serious drug offenders, including marijuana grow operators "
I take that to mean ' serious grow operations "
That is what they mean, no pot for drugs, can I make it anymore simple.

The first quotation you posted, if you can figure it out, please let me know what you think it means, because I don't.

in fact i'm quite well educated 'michael clift'. btw; you seem to be fairly hung-up on capitalization. perhaps you should be spending less time on that and more time on trying to figure out what the hell you're talking about. do you actually know anything about atlantic canada and their voting patterns, or are you just here to spout liberal blather? of all people on this site you should be anonymous to protect your stupidity.

Hello there Ron Erwin;

How do you imagine that the $1200.00 Conservative benefit will be supplied to "families" in Bountiful. Do you believe that this will be a socially responsible expenditure of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars?

Chuck, great question. I know the Conservative Party knew that your question would come up.
I think their answer might be ' we knew that the logical extension to the Same Sex Marriage legislation might lead to swingers and polygamy.
Without prejudice you were told that this would lead to a lot of other issues coming up.
So I guess if everything remained the same in Law, these poly's would clean up in dollars.

"Chuck, great question."

Funny, because you haven't answered the question, Ron. So again, "Do you believe that this will be a socially responsible expenditure of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars?"

"Without prejudice you were told that this would lead to a lot of other issues coming up."

News flash, Ron... polygamy, swingers and the issues surrounding them were around before the same sex debate. Why is it only an issue because it followed the same sex debate?

I've also heard there are people who have sex with animals, there must be some way to blame the gays for that one too, eh Ron? Better yet, you can pin it on the Liberals...

Hi Ron,

Harper's adoption of social conservatism is complexing. In one sentence he will espouses the notions of freedom, and individual choice, but then he condemns those who choose to live that way. He will condemn the federal government interference in local issues, but will preserve social interference. He will hold up the torch for personal independence, but condemns individualism. He will argue against tribalism and group rights, but will extend religious organizations the very same rights that he would wish to deny others. He will try to protect the family against the interference of the public government, but will go so far as to use the federal government to maintain traditional family values.

Whatever steps he will take will be incremental, but by trying to fight against "the left wing agenda", he risks taking a divergent path for the sake of protest. Its hard to tell, sometimes, whether he actually believes everything he has to say or whether he is pulling out the morality trump card just to solidify his base. However, by trying to fight against social deviancy, he has failed to realize that deviancy thrives on rejection, that prohibition leads to criminal activity, that fighting against gay rights provides fuel to the small activist members in the community and fails to resolve normalization and overall cohesiveness in society. By fighting against a redistributive economy, we will limit economic expansion resulting from the buying power of the mass, and that domestic markets benefit far greater from low income spending. By focussing on crime punishment rather than crime causes, we are bearing more detainment costs and less rehabilitiation.

hey, what will happen to the CBC if harper and the cons are elected?

not much. we still need it. what would the lefties do without it?

Hello Elliot !

It's always a pleasure to see people insult others without using their real names.
It must take you...what two beers...no, six beers to get your courage up!

At least some of the conservatives will argue a point, but you my sweet man...well I can tell that you are a good heckler at hockey games! USA sucks, eh?

Enjoy your victory! Though I think it will be a minority government that will last one to two years!

As they say...
"It is better to have loved and lost than to be a bloody b*****d!

Kevan Hudson (yes, my real name)
South Korea
Formerly Richmond, BC

like i said former. sounds like a good place for you. btw; i don't drink. and i cheered for the american junior team. minority this time, just until the idiot ontarians finally realize the the conservatives won't be extreme. majority next time and probably for some years to come. you might want to make long term plans to stay there. working in an international school are you?