The Election is Coming

[kato]

Oh yea... I also sent a letter to the CBC.

R-Calf learned a long time ago that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Look how far that small group of noisemakers have gone.

It's time for us to make a little noise of our own. We've got a lot at stake here.

[cowman]

I wonder what the senate could have done if they got the figures? Anything? ...I doubt it? And the truth is Canadians really couldn't care less anyway? I don't think your average Joe in Toronto or Vancouver gives a rip about who got their taxes?
Before we all go out and shoot the Conservatives because they basically said why waste the time and money on a meaningless excercise, maybe we should remember who set up the program that the packers ripped off? And at the same time remember we are basically dealing with LIBERALS, who gave us such fiscally prudent things as Adscam, the Public Works scandal, the rip off gun registry thing and who knows what else?
You won't vote Conservative you say? Well then who? The Liberals? If you vote for them then you deserve to get screwed...again! Well maybe the NDP? Perfect...you just wasted your vote and got the Liberals again!
The only party that just might have a chance of throwing these rascals out(and hopefully bringing them to justice) is the Conservative party...and that is a fact!
So if you like how things have been going in this country the last few years, hold your noses and vote to get screwed some more!

[cowman]

Making this an election issue doesn't exactly mean we all have to vote for the Liberals. You are right cowman, voting Liberal would be a backstep.
However, letting Harper know that we disapprove of his political posturing tactic of letting the Packers go, when they were found in contempt of Parliment is important. I beleive that they saw it as an opportunity to prove the Liberals wrong and rushed in.
Our governments need to hear from us cowman. Even though you feel your voice is small, it is a voice, and that is what Democracy is about. Just look at the attention Cam Ostercamp is getting from a five page essay. If it does not change the policy of the mainstream cattle industry players, it sure has, and will get more, peeved and thinkin.

[cakadu]

I'm not so sure that we can say that the average person does not care where their taxes go. Many more people were asking about why the producer was not getting the money that was supposedly earmarked to help them get through this mess. If nothing else, it may have helped to open the eyes of a few people and that is never a bad thing.

The Conservatives (former Reformers) have their base in the West and by voting down the motion, they essentially were snubbing the very people that they were elected to represent. Even if it were nothing more than political posturing given that the election call should be coming some time in the next few days, they still had opportunity to look like they might be doing something for us.

Any vote that I am going to give, will mean one less for the Liberals. At the end of the day, it may not amount to much, but at least I exercised my right.

Maybe at no other time in history (I'm not THAT old) has there been a less clear choice for leadership in this country. It is not an easy choice to make because unfortunately, we have a pretty good idea about the outcome of this election. It may not be as big a majority as in the past, but it will in all likelihood mean a majority once again. Having said that though, it doesn't mean that I have to roll over and "waste" my vote.

It's high time we started making our political representatives actually represent us, which incidentally wasn't the Reform party first elected in? They were going to represent the grassroots? So much for that I guess.

[cowman]

Linda: I too have a lot of problems with the new Conservative party. There are quite a few things they expouse that I am not too keen on(especially their toady attitude to the USA)! And hey, I actually kind of like Jack Layton...he definitely thinks outside the box!
But the fact is the Conservatives are the only party that stands a snowballs chance of knocking off the Liberals...or at least making them sweat a bit!
I am totally appalled by the arrogant behavior of the Liberals. They have taken chicanery and blatant theft to new heights? I figure, whatever it takes to turf them, right?
I suspect Stephen Harper is a man of integrity, but he is also a practical politician? Politics is a very dirty business and sometimes it is necessary to get down in the mud with the other pigs if you want to win? I think a politician can either stick to his high minded principles, and never get anywhere, or he has to make compromizes and do what he needs to do? It's called "taking care of business"! Or "keeping your eye on the big picture"? Not pretty, but necessary?
As Leo Durocher said "Nice guys finish last"!

[pandiana]

I have to agree with cowman. Neither the Liberal nor Conservative representatives appear to understand the 'ordinary Canadian' perspective. They both seem to have their platforms firmly nailed to corporate philosphies. Countries need money in order to appear to be progressive and, as most money and power appears to reside in the corporate sector, it follows that these are the people that get their attention. Pandering to the US is Harpers ticket to big business.


I too find that Jack Layton is a very sensible and sane voice in the wilderness. I am not just too sure how if he could carry the vote against such powerful forces. I also worry that he would get into bed with the unions, a situation that precipitated the decline of the NDP in the past. NDP would have to be seen as representing all Canadians, not just unionized workers. On the other hand, I haven't heard his farm policy...

[kato]

I got a reply from my MP. The secretary wrote that she would send him my letter, and pasted this press release into the letter.

Press Release: Liberals wrote the cheques to the packing industry

(Ottawa) The Liberal government claims it doesn't know how much money the meat packers received in BSE aid so they have made the Standin Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food responsible for finding out.

Inky Mark, Conservative MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette commented, "The
Liberal government wrote the cheques to the meat packers. They know exactly
how much money was paid out to each individual packing firm. The Liberals
have planted the seeds of doubt against the meat packers to escape
responsibility for an aid program that has failed all the players in Canada's agriculture industry."

"The responsibility of disclosure must lie with the Liberals as they alone have the ability to open their own books to determine the exact amount of funding that went to the packing industry."

"What we are seeing here is a government in pre-election mode," Mark
concluded.

I think I can hear a spin doctor somewhere in the room.

Planted the seeds of doubt about the packing industry? Boo Hoo cry me a river for the poor packing industry! From what I understood, the packers were asked to open their books to prove they weren't profiteering from the market. Not because the government didn't know how much money they got. Or did I miss something? Please enlighten me.

It's a lucky thing for the packers that they have Inky standing up for them, or boy would they be in trouble. They can sleep easy at night knowing Inky is on patrol.

Could be that the Conservatives will make a good government, but I'm really not sure they are ready for it yet. Do they even know who they are yet? The party seems to implode every couple of years, and the re-invent itself, and that makes me nervous.

[cowman]

kato: Now I'm not here to defend Inky Mark but the fact is the Liberal government did indeed design a program that was entirely exploitable by the big packers? Now I'm no expert on government programs, but you would think they could have come up with something that had some safeguards built into it? Like maybe a regulated industry? Why not...they did it during the wars...national crisis sort of thing?
This whole issue is a tempest in a teapot, I believe. The fact is we need the border opened to market our over produced commodity? Unfortunately, the only real viable market that can take that amount of cattle/beef is America? And finally the fact is America will decide...not Canada?
If America says there will be no test, then there won't be a test, thats just how it is? I believe rsomer sees the big picture pretty well on this whole trade issue and although I have trouble sharing his optimism, I think he's stated a pretty realistic picture of this whole trade/science/politics thing?

[kato]

I won't defend him either, but I'll go one better, he's my local MP, so I won't vote for him either. I have told him so, and why.

My point is that they had a chance to show support for Canadian cattlemen. They chose to dump on us in order to pick away at the Liberals. As the saying goes "It's the thought that counts"

This is why it's so worrying... What will they do when/if they get into power? Who will they side with when push comes to shove? It would be like having Chretien and Van Clief back all over again.

Lord knows, we don't want that!

[Horse]

Did everyone forget about the 400 mil the province of alta laid out to the packers . I feel the liberals are just the same as the provincial torys but it seems as though it is a dirty little family secret that cant be talked about because it would tarnish the tory voters
When I have a $ taken in taxes I dont realy give a dam if it is feds or prov I hate to see it wasted just the same.

[cowman]

kato: As I've said before I have some problems with the federal conservatives. What would it be like if they were elected? I suspect you would see Canada moving closer to the US? Sort of like a branch company...in a big way! Which in the short term might be very profitable but in the long term??...well who knows?
I'm not real keen on having my children/grandchildren used for cannon fodder ala Iraq or whatever other little adventure the US warmongers decide to go on!
Of course we would also have to give up some of our sillier ideas like a social conscience and a fair deal for all, and take up the attitude of dog eat dog! But then we've been slowly sinking into that pit anyway?
So why would I suggest even voting for these guys? Well, because the other guys are proven thieves and liars who have screwed the people while spouting rhetoric about what honest fellows they are. Maybe I am wrong? Maybe I should adopt Joe Clarks attitude "Better the devil we know than the one we don't"?
By all means vote your convictions! But remember the old saying "Cheat me once, shame on you. Cheat me twice, shame on me."

[cowman]

While watching the news last night I caught a story about how the Mcguinty(sp?)government had brought in a tough budget with some fairly healthy tax increases. Now this was after he basically said "No New Taxes" in his election campaign. Apparently the people of Ontario are not too happy about this little deception and the story implied they might take out their anger on the federal Liberals! Martin immediately tried to blame the Ontario conservatives for the tax increase of course, which is totally absurb as Mcguinty knew the situation before he made his promise of no new taxes!
Do you really want to vote for a party that has no concept of honesty and trust? That only believes in patronage, deceit, and obtaining power at any cost?

[kato]

I believe we are "between a rock and a hard place" regarding who to vote for.

I guess, just vote for who's best in your riding, and let the chips fall where they may.

[CattleAnnie]

I agree Kato. And Cowman, I was not saying that I would vote Liberal in my last post.
I'm simply browned off with the shennanigans that the Conservatives pulled on Friday. NDP? Not likely. Which brings to mind the sad reality of the current political parties that one can vote for... they all seem to be cut from the same cloth once elected into positions of power. Smoke and mirrors.
Sorry, being such a pessimist. Just sat through another depressing sale. Had hoped things would be brighter a year from May 20/03, but doesn't seem to be the case. Just deeper in debt and value of herd still down in the dumps.
Oh well. Wish I could wish you all a Merry Anniversay but nothing very merry about it, is there.
Take care.