Cheney is out – Giuliani is in

While still just a rumour, many have commented that President Bush should dump Dick Cheney for the next presidental election and possibly pick up a running mate that will help offset some of the negative effects of not finding WMD in Iraq.

Giuliani: Bush’s dream ticket
US PRESIDENT George Bush is ready to pull off the biggest shock of this year’s election campaign by naming Rudy Giuliani as his running mate at the Republican convention in Manhattan in September.

Giuliani remains the most popular politician in the US and speculation is mounting that Bush will announce the former New York mayor as his vice presidential candidate as the country marks the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Bringing Giuliani on board would be a massive boost for Bush, who is lining up to run as a ‘war President’, concentrating on the war on terror rather than the war in Iraq.

Tony Clement’s Integrity over Hydo One

Lorrie Goldstein of the Toronto Sun makes some valid points as to whether Tony Clement is the pot calling the Kettke black. If the central issue of the next federal election is integrity, and Clement manages to win the Consevative Party leadership, then Clement may find himself struggling to disassociation himself with his previous allies.

The integrity sword cuts both ways
[With] news this week that his campaign co-chair, Tom Long, and two other prominent supporters, were among four Tory consultants whose firms received big, untendered contracts from Hydro One during the Mike Harris/Ernie Eves era, he must have known the question was coming.

… Clement, asked whether he had talked to Long, co-chair of his campaign, two full days after the revelations about the Hydro One contracts appeared, responded: “I haven’t, no.” Asked if he was going to, he replied, “and say what?” Told an appropriate question might be, “what about this?” Clement responded: “I guess I could. The issue is that they feel, I suppose, in their reaction, that things are justifiable, so, unless there’s something more that comes of it, I’m not sure what else I can gain from the conversation, but I’d be happy to have that conversation.”

… since Clement acknowledged yesterday there were obviously spending programs that Harris initiated as premier that he knew nothing about as a minister (Harris is a supporter of Belinda Stronach) it stands to reason Martin can at least make the same argument about Chretien.

Dr. Ralph’s Alberta Beef saves Paul Martin’s Canadian Bacon

With the Liberal Party lagging in the polls as of late, Alberta’s “conservative” Premier Ralph Klein has come to the rescue, providing Paul Martin with the cure to what ails him: A distraction from the quagmire of scandal he’s been floundering in for the past two weeks. Not even 24 hours after challenging the sanctity of Canada’s unofficial constitution, the Canada Health Act, by invoking the spectre of “separating” from it, Ralph and his bunch are now in full retreat on the issue:

[Ralph Klein's] communications manager, Jim Law, said that while Klein urged Martin to be flexible to allow for reforms under the Canada Health Act, the premier also made it clear that as far as Alberta was concerned, “Going it alone is the last thing that we want to do.”

While Ralph’s true motivation for his hasty retreat from his previous stance on the Canada Health Act is unknown, what is certain is that the “good Canadian-bad Albertan” routine will play well in the Golden Horseshoe for Paul Martin. This may also be a sign that the PM’s handlers have come to the conclusion that Martin has already blown any chance he had to make significant gains in Alberta. Therefore he has very little left out West to lose by playing up the “bad Alberta” stereotype, which will in turn go along way towards re-establishing his credibility in the east. Expect more of this to come…

Klein backs away from health comments after talk with PM
FLIN FLON, Man. (CP) – Prime Minister Paul Martin took time out from his western swing Friday to cross swords with Ralph Klein in a phone conversation that saw the Alberta premier back away from comments that his province may go it alone on health care.
Klein made headlines Thursday when said his government was considering charging facility fees, delisting medical procedures and privatizing more services to prop up a health system increasingly burdened under the weight of spiralling costs.

He also said Alberta would have to consider opting out of the Canada Health Act and forfeiting more that $1.2 billion in annual federal health funding.

Martin, while on a visit to Saskatchewan and Manitoba Friday, called Klein from his Challenger jet to say he’ll defend the principles of the Canada Health Act.

Klein could not be reached for comment but a release from his office said the premier told the Prime Minister he was not proposing delisting services, bringing in private user fees or opting out of the Act.

His communications manager, Jim Law, said that while Klein urged Martin to be flexible to allow for reforms under the Canada Health Act, the premier also made it clear that as far as Alberta was concerned, “Going it alone is the last thing that we want to do.”

Earlier Friday, Martin told reporters “The Canada Health Act is an essential foundation of the Canadian value system,” adding, “We are not going to a two-tier health-care system.”

In Ottawa, federal Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew said they want to work with Alberta but that the Act is non-negotiable.

“We are going to uphold the Canada Health Act and its five conditions. That is quite clear,” said Pettigrew.

When asked if that means he will fine Alberta for non-compliance, he replied, “That means that we’ll uphold the Canada Health Act. Read the Act and you’ll have your answers.”

Dr. Ralph’s prescription for healthcare

In a move that will no doubt endear him to Canadians and Albertans alike, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein is preparing to “contravene the interpretation of the principles of the Canada Health Act” in an effort to “save” health care in the province. I’d be expecting a letter from Intergovernmental Affairs in the near future…

Alta. may break Health Act to ‘save’ health care: Klein  

EDMONTON (CP) – Alberta Premier Ralph Klein issued a warning Thursday that his Tory government is prepared to break the Canada Health Act in order to save public health care.

Klein said the province may look at such things as charging facility fees and delisting medical procedures or charging a deductible on doctor visits to address spiralling health costs. He said Alberta is prepared to face the consequences – including the forfeiture of federal health-care funding – in order to ensure the health system remains sustainable.

“What we do may contravene the interpretation of the principles of the Canada Health Act and we ought to be ready for a firestorm,” Klein said.

“I think we’re ready to assess the savings that might be achieved against the amount that will be lost.”

Alberta Health officials said the province would stand to lose the $1.3 billion the federal government annually contributes to its $7.35 billion health care budget.

The last time the Klein government and Ottawa got into a dispute over the province charging facility fees to patients in 1995-96, it cost Alberta $3.4 million in penalties.

“We would have to test the dispute resolution mechanism that has been put in place,” the premier said.

Klein said Alberta will only violate the Canada Health Act as a last resort, but he said that if he can’t convince his fellow premiers and the federal government that radical reforms are needed, the province will go it alone.

2 Billion Dollar Gun Registry

More great news from the gun registry boondoggle,

CBC: Gun registry cost soars to $2 billion
MONTREAL – Canada’s controversial gun registry is costing taxpayers far more than previously reported, CBC News has learned.

Nearly $2 billion has either been spent on or committed to the federal program since it was introduced in the mid-1990s, according to documents obtained by Zone Libre of CBC’s French news service.

The figure is roughly twice as much as an official government estimate that caused an uproar across the country.

CPC Rules Chair Conspiring Against Harper?

In an email mistakenly sent to Mike Donison (a Harper team member), Bev Mahood makes a rather discouraging remark about Harper to fellow committee member and chairwoman Jan Dymond. Both Bev and Jan supposed to be impartial and neutral members of the CPC Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC).

No taxes for first $250,000 earned

Conservative Party leadership candidate, Tony Clement unveiled his new income tax plan that would see young Canadians not paying a cent of tax until their lifetime income reaches $250,000.

Clement plan: No tax for young
Mr. Clement said yesterday he would make the system flatter and simpler. For those who have earned a quarter-million dollars, tax rates would be based on their accumulated lifetime income rather than on how much they took in during a given 12 months.

He billed the plan as an attack on the brain drain, saying tax-free status would convince Canadians in the first years of their careers to stay in the country rather than search out greener pastures in the United States and elsewhere.

The plan is interesting, however, I’m not sure such a radical departure from typical taxing methods could be accomplished. Here is the biggest problem I see,

The plan would be implemented for those 18 or younger in 2005, while everyone else continued under the current system. That suggests there would be parallel tax systems for many decades. Tax revenue would drop as the first generation received their tax break, peaking at a $2-billion loss in 2017, Mr. Clement said.

I’m not sure a parallel tax system would be wise, nor do I want to simply hand a huge tax break to those that who just happen to be 18 or younger in 2005.

A question for Albertans.

In my travels through the internet, I stumbled across the following post on Free Dominion by Gordon Stamp of Edmonton. He asks Albertans to ponder the following:
[Read more]

Snippet’s from the Throne

On Monday, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson presented the first Speech from the Throne on behalf of newly-annointed Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin. Among the hilights, Clarkson announced that Martin’s government, along with pledging to conduct more free votes in House of Commons, promised to appoint a new independent ethics commissioner. In an attempt to shore up the Liberal vote in Canada’s major centres, Martin also promised billions more in funding for urban municipalities across the country.

Martin was long on promises but short on specifics, pledging more millions towards various social programs, the military, healthcare, aboriginals, and naturally, the environment (pun intended). On top of committing $3.5 billion towards cleaning up cess pools nationwide over the next 10 years, including another $500 million for the cleanup of sites such as the Sydney Tar Ponds, the Martin government also renewed their vow to implement the Kyoto Protocol in full. So much for addressing western alienation…

Kyoto here to stay
New Prime Minister Paul Martin reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Kyoto protocols in yesterday’s throne speech. The speech also promised better funding to help commercialize technology, and support to develop foreign export markets to lessen dependence on the U.S.

“The government of Canada will respect its commitments to the Kyoto accord on climate change in a way that produces long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy,” Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson read from the speech.

“It will do so by developing an equitable national plan, in partnership with provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders.

“We have begun and we will persevere. And we will go beyond Kyoto to strengthen our environmental stewardship.”

Alberta and the nation’s big energy producers have previously expressed concern that Kyoto ratification will make Canada less competitive, a move that could hamper development and hinder job creation.