Getting Even With Pierre Trudeau: A How-To Guide

Pierre Trudeau may have destroyed the Albertan economy, devastated a generation of westerners and then gone and died before we could get even. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still extract a bit of revenge: By screwing over his son!

Justin Trudeau is a blue-blood running in a lower-class riding. He has a big Canadian name in a riding of recent immigrants. He’s running against an entrenched incumbent, herself an immigrant, who defeated a cabinet minister in the last election. He is, in short, very defeatable.

So how best to get even with the Trudeaus? By donating a bit of money to the incumbent that can defeat Trudeau, Vivian Barbot. You can donate the individual limit to her constituency association, which will eventually end up in her campaign, before the election. Then you can donate to the campaign itself. Try calling or emailing one of her offices:

514 277-6020 or 613 995-8872
barbov@parl.gc.ca or barbov0@parl.gc.ca

I’ll let you know when I make my donation.

ITEM: Insane Redneck ReformCon Alberta Minister Treads on Temporary Workers

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Temporary foreign workers can have their stay extended to 24 months, up from 12 months, announced Human Resources and Social Development Minister Monte Solberg and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley.

Senator Lieberman to become a Republican?

ThePolitico reports that Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut may consider switching if Democrats decide to increase their opposition to the War in Iraq,

“I have no desire to change parties,” Lieberman said in a telephone interview. “If that ever happens, it is because I feel the majority of Democrats have gone in a direction that I don’t feel comfortable with.”

FYI: The Democrats, which have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, would lose the majority if Lieberman moved over to the Republicans. 50-50 split in the Senate could be broken by the President of the Senate, Republican VP Dick Cheney.

Top Chretien aide admits Liberals had no intention of reaching Kyoto goals

Goldenberg: What? You thought we were actually serious about those Kyoto targets? Really?

The previous Liberal government ratified the Kyoto Protocol knowing Canada wasn’t ready to take the tough measures needed to address climate change and would likely miss the deadlines for reducing emissions, says a top adviser to former prime minister Jean Chrétien.

God, I hope there was video of this speech.

ThePolitic.com is Looking for Writers – Round 2

In an effort to expand ThePolitic’s scope and coverage of Canadian and world politics, we are looking for more writers to contribute. Our previous request, netted some great writers (Kelly, Shane, Barry, Matthew, and Marsilio) and there is plenty of room for more…

We’re interested in finding writers who can provide insight into the following topics/areas:

• Canadian Politics (National and Provincial)
• US Politics
• Middle Eastern / Israeli Politics

If you’re interested, please contact us. Prior experience writing for the Internet (or weblogs) isn’t required, but strongly encouraged. Please include your name, contact information and any relevant writing examples.

Also note, we will not be accepting any candidates who intend to cross-post between multiple weblogs – contributed material must be original. However, writers will retain copyright and ownership of contributed materials.

If you have any questions and or you want to apply, please contact Greg Farries.

Suggested Liberal Strategy, Silent Blog

The blog of Garth turner has really taken a spiral down the toilet lately. He has been closing his eyes and swinging at anything blue and to the right. How much longer will the ‘Maverick’ have before his anger towards the old party slips up and costs him his Liberal-ness or his daily ramblings? My guess, not long.

Sid Meiers: The Greatest Canadian

Victorino Matus has written a long and fascinating article on the remarkable game designer Sid Meiers. Check it out:

Speaking of celebrities: A movie or book or CD of such mammoth popularity would by now have turned its creator into the prey of paparazzi. But Sid Meier, the creative genius behind Civilization, is decidedly a noncelebrity. He turns 53 this month. He was born in Canada and raised in Michigan. After graduating from the University of Michigan, where he studied computer science, Meier went to Hunt Valley, Maryland, to work for the General Instrument Corporation, which made computerized cash registers for department stores. Meier had always taken an interest in computers–his first PC was an Atari 800 in 1979. Soon, he was making his own games…

Question. Why wasn’t Meiers included in the running for The Greatest Canadian?

ITEM: Insane Redneck Alberta ReformCon MP Advances Far-Right Mean-Spirited Agenda

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Four months after a pup was allegedly tied to a truck and dragged until near death in Myron Thompson’s riding of Wild Rose, the Alberta MP has asked Ottawa for tougher laws for animal abuse cases across the country.

Garth Turner: Loving Home Needed

For Garth Turner moving day came as a surprise. The former Tory, Independant and now Liberal hermit MP is trying to raise a fuss on his blog about being shifted away from the blue block in Ottawa.

His ramblings are long winded attempts at sympathy coupled with tax-spending Tory tales of the new letterhead, business cards, etc. that us taxpaying folks will have to be subject to.

I sincerely appreciate all of those people who have raised their voices in opposition to evil Jay Hill, the Chief Government Whip, who has ordered me to vacate my office and pull the plug on MPtv – just for the hell of it. The latest development is a letter I received this morning from the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Commons who plans to lower the boom during the first week of March.

Turner tries his hardest to spin the fact that the his broadcast follies are a thorn in the side of the current government by indicating that they want to pull the plug on his MPtv along with the order to move. Not the case. In a previous post he states that a move would sever his direct line into the house that was installed with much cost due to the fact that it is a heritage building (perhaps the same taxpayer cost):

But I do know that MPtv, which is an innovative joint venture between me and the House of Commons, offering the only original daily webcasting content out of our Parliament, will be jeopardized by this needless move. When I set the studio up (pictured below), we had a special data connection installed in the office, which routes directly into the House architecture. That will now be lost until the time and resources are found to connect it elsewhere (these heritage buildings are not so easy to wire, I am told). Seems like a waste, no?

The bottom line is (whether or not Garth gets it) he will be moved. There will be costs associated. Perhaps as a lower-cost alternative, his new office could be located in the fenced off section for homeless cats on the hill. Pity on Garth, pity on.

What Is John Duffy Talking About?

Duffy (scroll down to see his comment):

I’ll repeat a question that continues to loom ever larger. Is the Prime Minister considering resigning government and triggering dissolution? The constitutionality of such a move is not in doubt; the federal precedent is 1958 – an election with which I imagine Mr. Harper is thoroughly familiar.

Why is 1958 the precedent? Because it was a minority goverment? That’s simply not right. It is a prime ministerial prerogative to ask for an election at any time, provided the government hasn’t already been defeated on a confidence vote (and that there isn’t another leader able to command the confidence of the House).

Duffy continues, bizarrely:

Constitutionality aside, the political viability of resigning to force an election no other party wants is a very real question. Would there be an electoral backlash at so opportunistic a move?

I don’t know John — was there a backlash when Chretien called an election in 2000, three years into a majority? Was there a backlash when Martin called an election in 2004 before the full sponsorship story came out? He can’t possibly be trying to suggest that Harper would be unique in calling an election to suit his own timing, can he?

Finally, he asks a sensible question:

How does it square with the government’s plan to have regular elections starting in 2009?

That’s the only thing stopping Harper from calling one whenever he feels like it. Fortunately, Dion — strategic genius that he is — has handed the Tories a ‘Call-An-Election-Free’ card in Rodriguez’s private member’s bill. Sixty days after that bill is given royal assent, with a Liberal majority in Quebec, the Bloc back on their heels, and the federal Liberals bickering amongst themselves, Harper calls a press conference.

He says that he is very sorry to have to put the country through another election, but the opposition parties have left him with no choice. The will of Parliament is that Kyoto targets be met, but he is simply not willing to do that sort of damage to the Canadian economy. His deep respect for parliamentary sovereignty leaves him no choice, but to take the question to the people.

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