Harper's Christmas Speech/Interview

First off, Merry Christmas everyone! No one will read this until the new year, so Happy New Year, too!

So I was stuffed full of turkey and bored out of my mind. Therefore, I turned on Global and there was the year end interview with our "Prime Minister" Steven Harper.

As I listened, to my surprise, he actually made sense. His responses were well thought out, and he obviously has been working on how to speak to reporters.

However, in the end it was all the same stuff, nothing totally crazy, but nothing totally innovative either.

Therefore, do you think that these end of the year interviews, that every Canadian TV-station does, are relevant? Do they actually give Canadians anything they really want to hear, do we really care if Harper goes to watch all his son's hockey games, or if he takes in stray cats off the street? OR is this just the government intruding on our holidays, when most would rather watch re-runs of Home Alone?

Therefore, are these interviews just all the same: A way for the PM to try and encourage support, and ultimately votes, for the next election, which will be coming soon?

Any thoughts?

No Exam, right ?

Just double checking that we don't have an exam in this class, right ?

Dion and the Environment

I'm glad Dion won the Liberal Leadership Convention. He is the first liberal candiate to include environmetalism in his list of main campaign objectives. This is an interesting change since many people view the Green Party as not a viable option. With Dion as the Liberal candidate, and hopefully people getting annoyed of Harper's lack of human conscience, perhaps we can actually commit to the Kyoto objectives which we have many absolutely ZERO effort towards meeting. Other countries in Europe meet and EXCEED their emission standards while we do nothing.

I thought the following article from Stephane Dion's website concerning his environmental concerns:


WINNIPEG (November 15, 2006) – Liberal Leadership candidate Stéphane Dion today unveiled his plan for protecting Canada’s natural environment, building on the successes of previous Liberal governments and initiating a comprehensive four-point plan of action.
“Close to half of Canada’s 440 bird species are in long-term chronic population decline. Species-at-risk lists continue to grow longer. The nation’s wetland base diminishes every year. Commercial fisheries are closed or in decline for many species. Intact old growth forest is increasingly rare,” said Dion. “Previous Liberal governments have introduced the necessary legislative and policy tools we need to confront these alarming realities. The time is now to use them and take immediate action to protect our natural environment.”
The plan released today outlines four concrete measures to safeguard Canada’s precious natural environment, including:
1. Implementing federal legislation and enforcing existing regulations;2. Strengthening our science to better understand what is happening and how we can benefit more from our natural advantages;3. Expanding further our system of National Wildlife Areas and marine protected areas, completing the National Parks system and supporting private land conservancy; and,4. Working in partnership at home and abroad to achieve meaningful global nature conservancy goals.
Among the many new initiatives outlined in today’s comprehensive plan, Dion is proposing to create a Watershed Conservation Fund under the Canada Water Act, targeting watersheds that have traditionally received relatively limited federal government attention – such as the upper Fraser, the Saskatchewan system, the rivers of northern Ontario and the St. John. He is also proposing aggressive additional support for science, creating a Canadian Nature Monitoring Network, a Canadian Nature Research Foundation, and a National Wildlife Disease Centre of Excellence to respond to the public health and security threats posed by wildlife-borne diseases such as Avian Flu, West Nile Virus and Chronic Wasting Disease.
Dion will also establish and endow the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Nature Conservation Foundation to support private land conservation organizations on a matching basis to assist their efforts to acquire and protect lands of high conservation value. And, recognising that nature conservancy is a global challenge, as Prime Minister, he would create meaningful and effective partnerships with community groups, provinces and territories, and other national governments in the Americas to achieve lasting protection of our natural world.
“Canada must be a world leader in weaving together economic prosperity, social justice and environmental sustainability. These three pillars are the foundation of Canada’s future, a foundation that must not only preserve, but also improve our quality of life. And, nowhere is the three-pillar approach better exemplified than in how we approach our natural environment,” said Dion. “Our natural world underpins our economy, is integral to our social fabric and social history and lies at the core of environmental sustainability. As Prime Minister, I will bring Canadians together to ensure that Canada’s natural environment is conserved and protected from sea to sea to sea – for ourselves, for our children, for our future, for Canada, and for our responsibility to the planet.”

Anyone else surprised ?

Okay, who else was surprised by Dion's victory ? Be honest, you all thought it would go to Rae of Iggy...and I must admit I was in the same camp. Although Dion was clearly the best of the front runners I predicted that his English would be a major barrier. During his speeches he was okay, but when he is off book he makes a lot of stupid mistakes.

When I mentioned this to someone of Friday they looked like I had steped on a sacrificial lamb. Is there something wrong with pointing out that poor english is a liability. Many people predicted that Scott Brison's or Gerard Kennedy's poor French skills would be a problem, but why isn't the same true for English ? With Chretien it was different since no one could understand him in either language.

Hopefully now Dion will get some more practice.

Dion to be the next Prime Minister of Canada!

Well despite the predictions of many, Stephane Dion was able to capture 54% of the votes at the Liberal convention in Montreal this evening. With the support of Findlay, Kennedy, Volpe and Dryden, Dion was able to overtake the front runner of the race, Michael Ignatieff, despite being in 4th after the first ballots were cast. It looks like our class poll which predicted Bob Rae would win was wrong; however, Professor Gibson I'm sure has been presently suprised.

Personally, I was rooting for Ignatieff at the start of the race, but as time progressed and as I learned more about each candidates view on certain issues, such as the war in Iraq and Quebec as a Nation, I began to lead towards Kennedy and Dion. While I thought that Dion was almost too shy and soft-spoken to gain the confidence of the majority delegates, it is apparent that not everyone held these same thoughts.

While I am pleased that Dion won, I am skeptical as to whether or not he will have the power to defeat Harper and secure a majority government. Dion may be an intellectual and potentially a great leader but, that all means nothing, if he doesn't have the momemtum to oust Harper. Dion has baggage in Quebec and lacks a real connection with Western and rural Ontario. There is no doubt that Mr. Harper is going to try and catch Dion off guard and call an election when it is to his best advantage: so, Dion better hope that when the time comes that he has what it takes.

Long live the Liberals!