The coming federal budget?

[cowman]

On the news last night they were hinting that Mr. Harper's first budget might include "one more" broken promise?...Including oil revenue in the equalization formula!
Now I don't know how true this all is...after all it was the CBC...but Williams of Newfoundland and Calvert were sure vocal about it! Don't know where Mr. Stelmach was on this one, as the news item seemed to think Saskatchewan and Newfoundland would be the big losers? I think they said Saskatchewan would lose $800K under this deal? Apparently Quebec would gain $1.5 billion?
Not too sure if Mr. Harper has forgotten who brought him to the dance? Lets see: First he snubs a lot of western MPS for top cabinet posts. Then he appoints a Liberal as Trade minister. Then he weaselled on his promise to scrap CAIS. Then he reneges on his promise to not touch the income trusts. And now he wants to change the equalization formula after promising not to?
Stephen, Stephen...if we wanted liars...we would have stayed with the Liberals!

[15444]

Your forgetting his willy-nilly dance with getting rid of the gun registry cowman!

[wilagro]

It would seem that Harper starts a lot of things but does not folloe through before a new promise is worked on. He seems to think that the more 'changes' presented the better.

Had a neighbor like that...had more irons in the fire than enough, but never finished anything. Consequently his place was a mess.

[wilagro]

Any spellin' errors that I have made were caused by old fingers that don't want to go where I want them to go. Time to proof read more carefully I guess.

Thanks for your attention...Over and out.

[cowman]

Here is the problem in this country:
Fact...if you want to rule the country you need Ontario and Quebec on side? One or the other. To do that you have to "buy" them...especially Quebec!
To have the money to buy them you need to **** the rest of the country?
If this last little "flip flop" is true, what does it mean? They don't seem to talk about what it might cost Alberta but they did say on the news item that it would cost Saskatchewan $800 million! Now thats not chicken feed? $800 million every year fixes a lot of roads, schools, hospitals?
They also said Quebec would gain $1.5 billion...buys a lot of maple syrup...and yet the commentator hinted that Quebec wasn't too keen on that number...thought they needed considerably more!
What is with that? Is Saskatchewan so awash in money they can afford to cut a check for Quebec? How about Newfoundland?
Stephen Harper is walking a fine line here? How is he much different than Stephane Dion? Aren't they both offering to buy Quebec...at the expense of the rest of the country?
Maybe next time the Frenchmen want to have a plebicite on seperation, the rest of the country should get to vote also? I suspect they would be gone, whether they voted to go or not!

[carebear300]

Yes cowman the time is opportune for Quebec to separate not voluntarily lets kick them out of the dominion. Enough is enough we can't afford to keep them, after all the money that has been poured in there over the years and they still want more!!!!! As for us poor souls in Saskatchewan as long as we keep our socialist government we will continue to stagnate. Now back to doing my penance to the government, income tax, I am not having a good day.

[wilagro]

cowman: Next time you select a new leader, be more selective on who you choose. A so-called westerner is not the answer apparently.

[cowman]

wilagro: I don't think it is necessarily the leader, but the system? If Harper doesn't appease Quebec he's gone anyway?
Now I am not happy with this federal government! I don't think they have kept their promises? I get sick of politicians campaigning on one thing and then turning around and doing the opposite?
I don't care if they suddenly "see the light" once they get into power. If you say clearly "We won't scrap the income trusts" and then blatantly scrap them eight months later...what does that say?
If you promise Newfoundland and Saskatchewan that "energy will not be included in the equalization formula" and then in fact include 50% of energy in the formula...what does that say?
If you promise to get rid of the gun registry and then drag your feet...what does that say?
If you promise to scrap CAIS and come up with another plan, but instead paint it up and say it works...what does that say?
When you call for accountability and cleaning up politics, and then you appoint unelected senators and entice turncoats with a cabinet post...what does that say?
I won't be voting for Harper next time. Hopefully I'll have someone to vote for, but will not vote Liberal or NDP. I am very disappointed in the Harper Conservatives!

[wilagro]

cowman: Thank goodness, your eyes are wide open to what is going on. Too many doctrinaire PCers shrug their shoulders and go along with the government on every decision that they make.

Harper seems to pop-up every week or so with some darned change or decision...somewhat like gophers on a warm spring day. His behaviour is too erratic in my estimation.

[cakadu]

Cowman, don't forget scrapping previous environmental initiatives only to re-introduce them as new initiatives coming from the current government, all the while knowing that it was your own opposition government that were not supporting the original initiatives.

How about campaigning on openness and transparency and then fully accepting people who walk across the floor? Then deciding that instead of trusting your Foreign Affairs Minister, who has just returned from a trip to the "Middle East" not to mention the entire department at his disposal, to send the latest floor crosser to follow-up on a report that was previously submitted.

Now we have all kinds of spending announcements coming our way. Sure, the money sounds good, but remember with all these announcements comes the bureacracy that goes along with it, so just how much of the money is going to get where it is supposed to go?

Dion may be no alternative, but Mr. Harper is fast showing himself to not be one as well. People may not be so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt next time.

[FarmRanger]

Much as I hate the pandering to Quebec that seems to be going on, Harper would have to go a long way to equal the corruption of the previous Liberals.

[cowman]

I surely don't think the Liberals have much credibility either! But I sure get sick of the total dishonesty of these people!
Maybe I'll join the 40% of voters who have said to hell with the whole lot!
...and they wonder why Canadians are not showing up at the ballot box? The whole bunch are a nest of scoundrels!