Harper fails economy

[dmlfarmer]

So Oliver, you believe because an online survey of 48,000 people living in the G8 countries means Harper is doing a good job of the economy?

Let me tell you the other countries that made the top 10. All the Scandinavian countries, all which have higher taxes and more government services than Canada.

Oh, I note Ireland is number 11 and Italy is number 14 and we know how great their countries economies are. I mean they must be since they beat Germany at number 15.

Japan is ranked 16th in the world. Nothing wrong economically there, right Oliver?

And Spain and Portugal the other two "PIGS" are 17 and 18. Yes Harper is in good company by making the reputation list!

Seriously, government has very little to do with this ranking and you are grasping at straws if you think it is a reflection on Harper or conservatives.
Canada got the high ranking because of factors like beauty of the country, lifestyle, friendly people, enjoyable activities to do, having well known brands, access to technology, and it is a safe country. The ranking really is a tourism survey and does not reflect at all knowledge of government or economics

It is another case of a opinionated Conservative mouthpiece trying to spin a relatively minor story into credit for the Conservatives which is total BS!

[Oliver88]

You likely didn't check out the link and check the rankings by OECD, Forbes and others.

We will have to agree to disagree regarding the Autoworker Union research piece.

[Hamloc]

Dmlfarmer latest youth unemployment stats for June 2015 for Italy is 44.2%, for Spain is 49.2%, the Euro Zone as a whole 22.5% and Canada 12.9%. I think your right Harper is a failure lets be more like Europe!

[dmlfarmer]

Hamlock, you misread what I wrote. I was responding to Oliver's long post re Canada has the best reputation in the world. My point was that just because Canada has the best reputation in the world has very little to do with economics or government. And to prove my point I listed off some other countries in the top 20 which included Japan, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. I do not want the economic problems of any of these countries that made the top 20. The reputation index is simply a feel good ranking and for Corcoran and by association Oliver to suggest that Harper is doing a good job because Canada ranks first is really a counter argument.

[Hamloc]

The title of your thread was Harper fails economy. Dml most anti-Harperites you included seem to believe we need more government spending and more taxes and you point to European countries as successful examples. I simply was showing how this approach has failed European youth. As a farmer I am attempting to build a business that if they are interested my kids can run some day, if I put the farm in massive debt that will make this much more difficul or impossible. Governments like Kathleen Wynn of Ontario have sacrificed the future of Ontario's youth with the largest non sovereign government debt in the world. Harper is not perfect but at least he tries to control the size of government. And Dml there is no k in Hamloc.

[dmlfarmer]

Hamloc if you really believed what you are saying there is no way you would be voting for Harper. Small government?? He has grown the government! From when he took power in 2006 until 2012 federal employment grew by 14% or 34,000 more people. The number of cabinet ministers grew under Harper from 26 to 40. Between 2005 and 2014 the number of political staffers grew by 21%. In Harpers own PMO office there were 68 people when he took office, now there are 94. Oh, I you seem to forget he added over 150 billion to our debt!

Contrary to your claim, I do not believe we need more government! I do believe we need to pay our bills which does mean taxes have to rise and/or services reduced. That is economic conservatism, not what Harper is practicing. In fact, I am likely more conservative than you.

Unlike you, I am not afraid to question this government instead of taking what Harper and his supporters say as gospel. When you really research what is going on the truth is a lot different than the spin. And there is a lot of spin out of the current government given they have 3325 people in the communications department alone spending $262.7 million of your tax dollars!

No you just keep you head in the sand and vote for Harper because he says he is doing a good job and maybe he will give you a nice pat on the head some day

[Hamloc]

I will certainly agree Harper has spent to much but what is the alternative to voting for Harper? Trudeau and Mulcair are not interested in less spending and smaller government. And I apologize reading your responses I did not get the impression you looked at government the same way as myself lol.

[TOM4CWB]

Harper fails the 'left wing media virtual' Economy... more like.

PM Harper will never satisfy the left leaning socialist media... CBC puts a log on the anti-Harper fire... and the rest seem to love piling on more logs to have a big bon-fire to roast PM Harper. As long as CBC gets $1.1B grant from gov. every year... they think the life is being sucked out of them.... because they want to hire all their friends and spend $2B/yr. Twice as much $ to CBC means twice as good at the CBC Virtual "Canadian" news! No news is accurate news... unless it is CBC news.

On CBC Wages:

This is quite the sunshine list of CBC employees being paid with Canadian Taxpayer money.

In the "can you believe this" department: as of April 14, 2014 over 10% of the "CBC ON-AIR GROUPS" made over $100,000 a year.
•4 employees made of $300k/year with the average pay among the 4 being almost $486k/year
•6 employees made between $250k and $299k with the average being just over $270k/year
•9 employees made between $200k and $249k with the average being just over $226k/year
•21 employees made between $150k and $199k with the average being just over $179k/year
•89 employees made between $100k and $149k with the average being just over $121k/year

Over $20 million dollars a year going to the CBC Sunshine Club and another $80 million going to the rest of the CBC employees in this group.

Your tax dollars hard at work.

http://cbcexposed.blogspot.ca/

We put up with these shinanigans...because we are good Canadians... but it doesn't mean that CBC should get $2B or be unaccountable to the Canadian taxpayer for the $1.1B of our money they (CBC) do "Spend" each year.

Does anyone actually think our lives would materially change... if the CBC were to become accountable to the taxpayers of Canada?

[blackpowder]

Getting a solid pushback on the far left in Canada is impossible. We held em off for a decade. Took a flamethrower to the _ _ _. Got only ONE gun law repealed!!
Sure Harper made mistakes. He also had the top job for a decade. I cant wait to listen to the noise on here 10 years from now!!!
Everybody I ever met changed their tune when they retired and stare at their tax bill all day!!!!!
Start hiding cash boys!!!!!
As for politics in this country, why does anyone give a damn anymore with where its headed.

[wmoebis]

You are right Tom. And in 10 years Harper has done nothing about it! Why would that change if he gets in again?

[TOM4CWB]

WM
If Lib/ND were in Charge... CBC would be extracting $2b from taxpayers at Least.
BBC has more tha $5b in revenue... Poor(not) CBC should be entitled to what half as much (tongue in cheek)... To keep up!!!
This is not where PM Harper is... He actually cut the CBC funding 10 percent.

[dmlfarmer]

Hamloc: I apologize for my last sentence in my last post. That was rude and uncalled for. But as you can probably tell I am pi--ed! I am tired of being fed BS by Harper et al. I am tired of their excuses that it is all the LIB/ND fault even though they have had a solid majority for the last 4 years. I am tired of hearing of the 2008 recession even though we have a resource based economy and have had record high commodity prices much of the time since 2009. I am tired of not being represented in government by my MP but rather my MP representing Harper. I am tired of being told to be scared of everything from the economy, to crime, to ISIS, to Trudeau and Mulcair. I am tired of the self serving Action Plan Ads for programs never implemented and the stupid ads telling me Trudeau is not ready but he has nice hair and insinuating Mulcair is a crook but never a Conservative ad telling me what Conservatives will do in the future. I am tired of being looked at as an idiot by the Conservative ad writers.
I am tired of the patronage and rewards this government practice and the corruption including the breaking of election laws by Con staff and by Harper appointed Senators.
Most of all I am tired of the absolute BS by average Canadians who have bought Harper's talking points hook, line, and sinker and continue to preach these fabrications as gospel. Like Oliver attributing Canada's ranking in the reputation index to Harper yet likely not knowing how this ranking was derived or realizing that some of the countries with the worst economies like Italy, Japan, Portugal, and Spain also rank highly. Or Tom who claims we lead the G7 but never admitting we led only in 2 of many economic factors and in fact that happened a number of years ago. Or being told again by Tom that the Lib/ND would double the CBC budget because the BBC is 5 times CBC's. Total BS and exaggeration from someone claiming repeatedly to be Christian.

You ask what is the alternative. Well I am going to vote for someone who will actually represent me and my constituency. In other words, anyone but the Conservative candidate. Regardless of the party, I will vote for the person I believe who will most willing to listen to me and work with whoever forms the government. I no longer want someone who simply represents Harper as my MP but someone who will represent me!

And I pledge to continue to call BS on total fabrications that are being put out as fact by any person and any party.

[perfecho]

Good one, DM...

[foragefarmer]

Tom4cwb's Christianity is nothing more than a disguise he uses at his convenience. His true colors come out every post he makes.

[Hamloc]

Dml I appreciate the fact that you have obviously given this a lot of thought. My only comment is that is how we ended up with a NDP provincial government in Alberta, only time will tell whether it was a wise choice or a mistake. Everyone was tired of the status quo.