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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
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---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
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I haven't really thought through all your suggestions, but if you restore cheaper hydro rates as in your point 5, who will pay the real cost of the electricity?
In your point 8 about drastically reducing wait times, I can't complain about my treatments. I've had good service and reasonable wait times. If you're talking about going in for a pacemaker setup check and having to wait an hour or more because the technician is in the surgery room with the cardiologist implanting a new unit in a patient that's a picky point. It could be a lot worse. It could be me needing the replacement.
Wait times can vary, but on average they're poor in ON, I understand. One can wait over 6 months in agony for hip replacement surgery, for example. In some countries it's done within 1 month.
[edit: here's a report that includes such wait times:
As for electricity, I understand that the Liberals have completely altered the way Hyrdo is managed in the province. Cheap power was an asset this province had not so long ago. Even now we have extra power that we sell for a loss outside of the province. I don't know the costs of returning Hydro management to the way it used to be. However we also may simply be being ripped off, and this should be investigated. Take those 'smart meters' for example. Even if one does their dishes etc. late at night, there are stories I've heard of no savings on Hydro recorded. I do know that our Hyrdo bills do seem to go down drastically whenever there is the strong chance of an election. Coincidence?
[edit: here's a link to a report on Ontario selling power at a loss:
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
I haven't really thought through all your suggestions, but if you restore cheaper hydro rates as in your point 5, who will pay the real cost of the electricity?
In your point 8 about drastically reducing wait times, I can't complain about my treatments. I've had good service and reasonable wait times. If you're talking about going in for a pacemaker setup check and having to wait an hour or more because the technician is in the surgery room with the cardiologist implanting a new unit in a patient that's a picky point. It could be a lot worse. It could be me needing the replacement.
Yes and it's a problem. Either they don't know what to do to fix the problems or they have a plan and know they can't sell it to us. If we hear their solution we won't vote for them.
I think it would be quite easy for to come up with an eminently sensible and sellable plan, at least for the case of Ontario voters, which could begin to get us out of the hole the Liberals have put us in. For example, use measures to:
1) Get rid of their Green Energy policies, e.g. drop solar panel ideas, cancel and investigate sweetheart South Korean company contract for windmills;
2) Require modern high efficency garbage incinerators be phased in throughout Ontario, as in some European countries;
3) Repeal the provincial pesticide ban (just bans scientifically proven safe pesticides anyway);
4) Eliminate the ECO tax on plastic grocery bags (some of the tax just goes to radical environmental organizations anyway);
5) Restore cheaper Hydro rates;
6) Fresh tax breaks for manufacturers (the previous point also would help reduce their costs);
7) Get rid of LHINs (Liberal introduced local boards) in order to drastically reduce health budget costs, besides getting rid of political plum appointments;
8) Drastically reduce wait times for various health care services (many countries have less health $ available than ON, yet shorter wait times);
9) Restart phasing out the old red and white health cards that lack photo ID, to reduce fraud;
10) Get rid of unaccountable human rights tribunals that often render defendents practically helpless to defend themselves;
11) Require Quebec to be fair to Ontario workers (e.g. construction) unable to work in Quebec due to 'red tape', else we won't allow theirs to work here;
12) Moderate (not massive) stimulus spending to try to improve Ontario economy;
13) Eliminate any illegal blockades (whether by natives or otherwise), using all force necessary;
14) Investigate sweetheart deal with MetroLinks, and/or start a fresh bidding process for public transportation 'smart cards' (e.g. the 'Presto' card, as it's called in Ottawa, should have it's phasing in, instead of tickets, at the least delayed).
[edit: here are links for some of the above points:
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
Yes and it's a problem. Either they don't know what to do to fix the problems or they have a plan and know they can't sell it to us. If we hear their solution we won't vote for them.
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
Today's opposition politicians are better at telling us what's wrong and whom to blame, than they are at proposing solutions... that may be appropriate for Question Period but not when you're asking the people to let you govern.
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
I think the Cons will win the next federal election. They are the only party which I feel will stand up to the agenda of the Quebec premier.
In Ontario there will likely be some liberal and ndp arrangement similar to what we see now. I think the liberals will have more seats than the NDP. Frankly, I think Wynne can think faster than Horvath can talk and Horvath isn't ready for prime time. More supporting cast. Hudak and the PC's need a majority in my opinion and I doubt they will get that. So far all he's done is tell me the problem and who is to blame. The solutions are a mystery to me.
I know the media is telling me the electric gas plants cancellation will cost me a billion dollar or more and I'll have to pay for it. The thing is I long ago figured out I never had a billion dollars so the threats of me having to pay for it are meaningless.
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
Sad to see how Duffy has fallen, yet even further lately. Still, in terms of cost to taxpayers, the Senate scandals (including that of the Liberal Harb) are nothing compared to the billions (in scandals alone) that the liberal media is letting the Ontario Liberals get away with squandering (as an aside, do we really want an elected Senate when we see what's going on in Congress in the US?). [edit: Ontario NDP leader Horvath should be especially ashamed of herself for propping up the Liberal minority goverment, but petty blackmail of Liberal minority goverments at any level is what the NDP does]
The NDP's chances of becoming the Government of Canada look more beyond remote than ever, after their Nova Scotia provincial party, and leader (plus Premier) Dexter, suffered a somewhat undeserved crushing election loss the other day (thanks at least partly to Trudeau II putting in appearances there). In fact, I'm fairly confident that the NDP will not even be the official opposition federally after the next election, in spite of the unfolding scandals and unfavourable press coverage that the Conservatives have to deal with.
Last edited by Kevin Pacey; Thursday, 10th October, 2013, 09:24 AM.
Reason: Grammar
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - The Facts Behind Some Polls
I watched Duffy on the TV news for years. I always liked his reporting. The worst I'll think of him is he might have been put in a position for which he was not qualified.
... national support for each of the federal parties remains firm, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals enjoying a wide lead over the governing Conservatives.
Some things may explain the lagging of the CPC - like "The Duffy Affair"?
An attempted reconstruction from the evidence dribbling out:
1. Duffy gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar ($ 92,000 worth). He is a CPC Senator.
2. Some members of the CPC find Duffy an embarrassment to the Conservative Party, and suggest the issue be buried quickly by making a $ 92,000 gift to Duffy on two conditions:
a) the funds be used to repay the Senate;
b) Duffy goes silent - no media (get him off the front pages!)
3. The powers that be in the CPC like the thought, but get cold feet and nix the idea.
4. A member of Harper's personal staff (a fixer) decides he personally will get Duffy off the front pages for the CPC - a personal gift to Duffy of $ 92,000, on the same conditions as above.
5. The public and the RCMP worry the issue like a dog with a bone, and evidence seeps out re the above. The staffer resigns/is pushed.
Have I got this right now, based on the CPC up-to-date transparency??
Did I miss something about how the CPC was to reimburse the staffer (oops - suspicion only)?
Maybe the NDP will be the official opposition to the Liberals next election?? Or, if the LPC bubble bursts before then, maybe an NDP gov't (and I win $ 20!!)
Bob A
Last edited by Bob Armstrong; Friday, 5th July, 2013, 06:38 PM.
Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't? - Trusting Polls??
Vancouver Sun.com - July 5 - by Peter O'Neil
— A poll used by B.C. Conservative MP Russ Hiebert to argue there is wide public support for his controversial union disclosure bill is the subject of a disciplinary review by the organization that sets polling standards, The Vancouver Sun has learned.
The 2011 poll was paid for by the Canadian LabourWatch Association, a Vancouver-based organization that is partly funded by non-unionized construction firms and provides, among other things, information on how to decertify unions.
Two Saskatchewan academics have argued since late 2011 that the poll by Nanos Research doesn’t give an accurate picture about public attitudes on disclosure of union spending practices.
The Canadian Labour Congress, using information compiled by the academics, filed a formal complaint with Canada’s Marketing Research and Intelligence Association.
“We’re in the process of looking into it,” said MRIA interim executive director John Ball.
He said the association expects to make the MRIA panel’s findings public this month.
"Despite a volatile two months of politics on Parliament Hill, national support for each of the federal parties remains firm, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals enjoying a wide lead over the governing Conservatives.
Trudeau has a real chance to win the next election. He's a young guy with a young family and they are photogenic. He has name recognition. Justin's been in the news since he was born. Through the newspapers and TV we've pretty much watched him grow up. The next election will be to see if the people want him to live in the house where he grew up.
Probably I won't vote for him but I can see how he is an attractive leader for the tree huggers and global warming crowd as well as those who switch between the Libs and NDP.
I know you don't believe in polls, Gary, but they do often have currency. I knew you'd want to know about this one - will stir your commitment to get that $ 20 saved up in advance!!
Bob A, NDP supporter
Well, I did say polls have some currency. The latest on the globeandmail.com, by Eric Grenier, on July 4, puts the federal Liberals well out in front!! And drops the federal NDP down to third (sigh):
"Despite a volatile two months of politics on Parliament Hill, national support for each of the federal parties remains firm, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals enjoying a wide lead over the governing Conservatives.
The latest weighted aggregation of all polls shows:
the Liberals at 36 per cent support nationwide,
with the Conservatives trailing at 29 per cent and
the New Democrats at 23 per cent.
The Greens and Bloc Québécois round out the list with 6 and 5 per cent support, respectively.
These numbers are unchanged from the last aggregation of early May, shortly after Mr. Trudeau was named Liberal leader but before the Senate scandals had emerged."
But it's still early in political time, and the election is still a bit away - anything can yet happen. So I'm comforting my fretting $ 20 Bill, telling her that there is still a chance she won't have to move out of her comfortable home in my wallet.
What's your definition of evangelical religions? Would you name a few?
Non-Catholic, but also focused on the NT's commands centered 'spreading the gospel'. Anglicans, United, Lutherans (among a few others) are typically NOT considered Evangelical, though there are Evangelical offshoots amongst them as well. The rest of the Protestants generally (with some exceptions) are considered Evangelical if their focus is on spreading the good news (in their opinion of course)
Do you think that the Canadian religious element (if there be such a thing) is mainly and solidly conservative? For example, in the USA, we popularly talk of the "Christian religious right"? Do other religions fit this "conservative" mold?
If so, do you think it had much influence in the last federal election in electing the right-of-centre Conservative Party?
Bob A
I really can't speak much to the political side of things since I don't give much more than a passing bit of attention to the hobby of politics.
However, the average evangelical in Canada is less conservative than in the USA, and the evangelical community as a whole is more splintered in their beliefs.
For example, in the recent BC provincial election I went over to a friend's house because they wanted to hang out and watch the results as they came in. As a non-voter I found in intriguing so I went. There were only five of us there, but 2 voted NDP, 1 Liberal, 1 Green, and myself a no-vote. The four voters were all regular attenders to evangelical churches in town.
It's not much good as anything more than a personal story, but I do think there is more diversity within the evangelical community in Canada, than the USA.
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