As you all know by now, unless you’ve been loitering in a cave someplace, the federal Conservatives have cracked out their official package of promises to the public this week. I’m still trying to make up my mind as to whether this kind of timing is brilliant or daft. On the one hand, it comes out too late for the HypoGrits and others to twist it around with the usual fearmongering spin and pretty much guarantees the Tories will eat up most of the news in the last week of the campaign. On the other, it doesn’t give Bob Q. Canuck a whole lot of time to digest just what it is that the Tories have to offer. Time will tell, I suppose.
The whole platform can be found in .pdf form here (I put it on my own server because the original link was moving like a turtle on heroin; I guess it’s a popular download…) and is damned well worth a careful read. Just make sure you grab a coffee first; the darned thing’s over 40 pages long… 😯 So much for the “no platform” meme, eh?
For those of you looking for a quick once-over, here’s my take on what jumped out at me (but don’t forget to take the time to look it over for yourself later):
Reducing Taxes on Diesel Fuel
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will reduce the federal
excise tax on diesel and aviation fuel by half – from four cents per litre to two cents per
litre – reducing the price of transportation by truck, train, plane and ship, and helping to
bring downward pressure on consumer prices.
This one’s pretty much a no-brainer. The rising price of diesel has jacked up the price of everything. From farmers needing it to run tractors to the fact that nothing teleports itself to the store where you buy it, this is going to pull the government’s hand a little further out of everybody’s pocket.
Restricting Unfair Text Messaging Charges
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will prevent
telecommunications companies from charging fees to customers for receiving
unsolicited commercial text messages. We will amend the Telecommunications Act to
strengthen the power of the Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunications
Services, including the creation of a code of conduct for wireless services. We will also
create a compliance and deterrent power that allows the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to block these and similar unfair charges in
the future.
[…and…]
Protecting Against Internet Spam
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will introduce legislation
to prohibit the use of spam (unsolicited commercial email) to collect personal
information under false pretences and to engage in criminal conduct. The new law will
reduce dangerous, destructive and deceptive email and web site practices, and will
establish new fines for those who break the law.
Both of these sound good on the surface (who the hell likes the idea of having to pay for SPAM???) but, as anyone who knows anything about IT will tell you, it’s itchy stuff whenever a government tries to legislate technology. I’ll wait until I see the actual legislation on this one…
Increasing Trade with Emerging Markets
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will continue to pursue
trade agreements, such as those successfully reached with the European Free Trade
Association, Colombia, Peru and Jordan. We are committed to seeing these deals passed
by Parliament. In light of the recent setback at the World Trade Organization
negotiations, a re-elected Conservative Government will move aggressively to improve
Canada’s network of bilateral and regional free trade and economic agreements.
To improve Canada’s position as a global trader, a re-elected Conservative Government
will proceed with plans to open new trade offices in China, Mongolia, Mexico, Brazil
and India (in Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad).
This will be a good idea, IF it means that we also get access to these markets ourselves. Contrary to the Liereral mythology, trade with China has long been a one-way street… 🙄
Reforming or Abolishing the Senate
The Conservatives and Stephen Harper believe that the current Senate must be either
reformed or abolished. An unelected Senate should not be able to block the will of the
elected House in the 21st century.
As a minimum, a re-elected Conservative Government will reintroduce legislation to
allow for nominees to the Senate to be selected by voters, to provide for Senators to serve
fixed terms of not longer than eight years, and for the Senate to be covered by the same
ethics rules as the House of Commons.
HALLELUJA!! It’s about God damned time! This alone should get the Tories a majority. The unelected, unaccountable Senate has, for too long, been a hung stumbling block to the will of the Canadian people. Hell, I’ve been ranting about this for years now and, let’s face it, everybody knows that this has been coming for some time now…
Limiting the Federal Spending Power
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will ensure that any new
shared-cost program in an area of provincial or territorial responsibility has the consent
of the majority of provinces to proceed, and that provinces should be given the right to
opt out of the federal program with compensation, so long as the province offers a similar
program with similar accountability structures.
Now sit back and watch da Librano$ absolutely shriek about anything that might get in the way of them being able to bribe you with your own money. Seriously, just watch. I give it until the end of the week… maybe.
Ensuring Responsibility and Rehabilitation for Young Offenders
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will replace Canada’s young
offenders’ law with new, balanced legislation that focuses on deterrence and responsibility.
The new law will make the primary goal of the legislation to protect society and the
primary goal of sentencing to discourage others from committing crimes. The law will
ensure that young offenders who are convicted of very serious and violent crimes will face
appropriate sentences and that upon conviction they will be named. As under the old law,
the age at which the sentencing provision applies (14, 15 or 16) will be determined in each
province.
[…and…]
Replacing Automatic Release with Earned Parole
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will replace the automatic
release of prisoners after serving two-thirds of their sentence with earned parole for
behaviour and rehabilitation in prison.
More no-brainers here. Don’t look for the Leftbots to see it that way, though. After all, thugs just need hugs, right? There’s a whole bunch of good stuff along this line starting on page 36; make sure to check it out.
Ending the Ineffective Long-Gun Registry and Reduce Guns in our Streets
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will ensure that all
firearms belong to licensed gun owners, and that all restricted firearms, including
handguns, are registered. But we will end the wasteful, ineffective long-gun
registry.
Instead, the Conservative Government will direct resources to measures that will
actually reduce the number of guns on Canadian streets, including investment in
better enforcement at our borders.
As a first step, a re-elected Conservative Government will launch a Joint Force
Land and Marine Border Patrol Pilot Project with the Customs and Border
Services Agency and the RCMP to patrol unguarded U.S. road and marine
crossings to Canada in Quebec.
Where’s a bigass happy-dance graphic when you need one? That asshat white elephant should have been taken out behind the barn and shot years ago.
Well, that’s all I have time for right now. Like I said, make sure you read the whole thing here and pick out what you like about it. Unlike the other parties, this one really does have something for everyone, and without any pie-in-the-sky bullshit.
Some of you may have heard of this already; others, likely not. But if you’re involved in shooting sports in London or the surrounding area, you’ve probably already heard about the bigoted asshattery pulled recently by Thames Valley School Board Director, Bill “my head’s so far up my ass, I chew my food twice” Tucker.
In an age when schools in our province are chronically underfunded, having to scrounge for cash wherever they can find it, Little Willy seems to think that he can pick and choose and turn his nose up at money if it comes from people he just plain doesn’t like.
That’s why students at East Elgin secondary school in Aylmer aren’t allowed to accept $5,000 from the East Elgin Sportsmen’s Association, says the director of the Thames Valley District school board.
“I do not feel comfortable accepting money from any organization associated with guns,” Bill Tucker said. [so no police fundraisers, eh, Willy? -D]
The controversy began when John Evers of the sportsmen’s association sent out a news release linking the organization with the East Elgin secondary school drama tech department.
Evers now says the release shouldn’t have implied the school was sponsoring the event.
During the weekend, the association staged the Ontario International Practical Shooting Confederation provincial match.
Competitors, including a three-time world champion from France, used full-power handguns to complete various stages over the course during the weekend, Evers said.
East Elgin students volunteered at the event. [showing that the kids whose interests he’s supposed to be looking out for have both more balls AND brains than Willy does]
About $5,000 raised at the event was to be donated to the school’s drama department for new lights.
But when Tucker heard about the news release, he objected to linking the school — and by extension, the school board — with a shooting event.
“This was not a fundraiser for the school,” he said. “From a school board perspective, I can’t have implicit or explicit links made between us and guns.”
But similar events have raised money for the drama department the last two years since Evers’ daughter started at East Elgin and students needed money for a production, Evers said. [gee whiz, I wonder what’s changed?]
“The kids are the only ones hurting here. They’re not getting the funding they need and deserve.”
Last year, a similar event raised about $3,500 for the drama department, he said.
An official cheque presentation was supposed to happen on Sunday, but the students will need to find a different way to get $5,000, Tucker said.
Tucker became the Thames Valley board’s director of education this year[AHA! So THAT’S what’s changed!] and said he couldn’t comment about why the money was accepted in the previous two years.
“This was my decision,” he said, adding he didn’t like the association of “schools and guns.”
Students who volunteered at the event can still count their time toward the 40 hours of community service required to graduate in Ontario, Tucker said.
Evers praised the kids who came to volunteer, saying they patched targets involved in the competition.
Frank Exley, one of two Elgin County trustees on the school board, said he was still figuring out Thames Valley’s policy on donations.
“It’s hard to say no to parents and kids who raise money for the school,” he said. “I want to be fair to the school, the students and the board on this.”
So there you have it. One miserable gun-grabber gets to shove his political agenda down the throats of a whole school full of students. After all, it’s not like IPSC is a legitimate, law-abiding bunch, right?
The CSSA/CILA had their take on this as well. I’ll let them speak for themselves…
In a move obviously fueled by irrational bigotry, Thames Valley School Board Director, Bill Tucker, has refused a five thousand dollar donation to a secondary school drama class because the money was raised at a shooting competition. “I do not feel comfortable accepting money from any organization associated with guns,” Tucker said.
This is the third year the Ontario International Practical Shooting Confederation provincial match has donated a large sum of money to the drama class. The money was accepted the first two times.
The donation program was spearheaded by East Elgin resident, John Evers, as a means of assisting the class in procuring large ticket items they otherwise would not be able to afford, in this case, new stage lights. “The kids are the only ones hurting here. They’re not getting the funding they need and deserve,” asserted Evers.
School boards should not be placing politics ahead of the welfare of our children. He added, Politicians like David Miller and Dalton McGuinty have demonized firearms owners to deflect blame away from their inability to deal with crime issues but this is the sort of argument one would expect weaker minds to buy into. I would like to think that school board Directors have more sense than that.
“It is appalling that in these days of chronic provincial under-funding of schools, that a person charged with the responsibility of operating those schools would turn down a generous donation because of political correctness,” spoke Larry Whitmore, Executive Director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. “Mr. Tucker should hang his head in shame.”
Bernardo added, “Mr Tucker has spit in the face of two million government inspected, government approved Canadians. Target competitions are a lawful sport with an impeccable safety record and a history of community service and involvement. Firearms owners have become Canada’s second class citizens.”
For more information:
Tony Bernardo
Canadian Institute for Legislative Action (CILA)
(905) 571-2150
Larry Whitmore
Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA)
(905) 265-0692
While we’re at it: If you want to top up that five grand that’s already been raised (and what better way to rub Willy’s little hoplophobic nose in it?), you can contact the East Elgin Sportsmen’s Association. One way or another, I know they’ll make sure it goes to good use.
As you likely guessed, the OFAHisn’t pleased, either (Freeps again):
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is calling the area public education director’s stance on guns “highly offensive and hypocritical.”
The province’s largest fishing, hunting and conservation group made the statement yesterday, decrying Thames Valley District school board director Bill Tucker’s refusal to accept a $5,000 donation to an Aylmer high school because it came from a gun club.
Meanwhile, the East Elgin Sportsmen’s Association’s president, John Evers, said he’s had to refuse more donations since the controversy began this week.
“If I accepted new donations from other sports clubs and individual shooters, I’d probably be up around $7,000 or $8,000 right now,” Evers said.
It’s another example of political correctness run amok.
The bias of Thames Valley District School Board director Bill Tucker has deprived students at East Elgin Secondary School of much-needed funds ($5,000 to be exact) and sent a message to legal firearms owners everywhere that somehow their money is tainted.
“I do not feel comfortable accepting money from any organization associated with guns,” asserts Tucker, as his rationale for turning up his nose at proceeds from the East Elgin Sportsmen’s Association (EESA) hosting of a high-profile handgun competition last weekend.
The money was destined for the school’s drama department for new lights.
Tucker initially threw up a smoke screen by insisting his concerns emanated from a news release that linked the school as a sponsor of the event.
Never mind in the past two years, similar events have yielded donations to the Aylmer high school.
In a conversation with City Scope this week, school trustee Frank Exley of St. Thomas toed the company line, supporting Tucker’s decision and insisting the EESA was at fault.
“This issue is not what’s going on at the gun club. The issue has to deal with the way in which the money situation was announced on the CBC (by EESA past president John Evers),” says Exley.
Asked if he had ever visited the club north of Aylmer or communicated with Evers, our elected school trustee shot back, “What does that matter? You get far from the picture when you start asking this question.”
So Tucker slammed the door on the EESA contribution, and Exley is in full agreement, without either of them visiting this club to see for themselves the valuable contribution to gun safety and education made by the dedicated membership.
We approached Evers to determine what sort of shady associates competed in this first-class event at the club, in addition to the three-time world champion from France.
OTTAWA (Reuters) – A Canadian poll released on Monday predicted for the first time that Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper would be able to transform his minority government into a strong majority in the October 14 election. The Segma poll, taken for La Presse newspaper, put support for the Conservatives at 43 percent, which the pollsters said would translate into 183 of the 308 seats in the House of Commons.
Some folks think this makes sense, some think it’s an anomaly, others think this is just a poll designed to rally the Grits. You decide.
The attack ads have come out. No surprise there, God knows the Grits loved using them. Now look for them to whine about how nasty the Tories are behaving. Me, I kinda like them, especially this one…
Meanwhile, the Boogers want in the debates but it doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen…
“This is anti-democratic, closed-door, backroom decision making by four national party leaders who are all men and five television executives – who are all men – to keep out the one woman leader of a federal party,†Ms. May told reporters on Parliament Hill, where she responded to the announcement that she will not be invited to the debates. “And I don’t think many Canadians will think that was fair.â€
Ms. May said the party has decided to pursue legal action against the broadcasters in Federal Court. She criticized the consortium for not spelling out clear criteria as to what hurdles the Greens must meet to be included.
Ms. May was reacting to a statement from the consortium of broadcasters that control the televised debates, who said there might not have been a debate at all if they invited Ms. May.
Sucks to be Elly May today, eh? Speaking of things missing, the Quebec landscape looks interesting. The Tories and the BQ have full slates in Quebec but the Dippers are missing about 30 candidates and the Grits are short by 4. Look for the Blocheads to panic soon.
Mr. Dion made his statements just hours after two Tory ministers, Jason Kenney and Lawrence Cannon, held an almost pre-dawn press conference — at 6 a.m. — in Ottawa to address the so-called Dion “triple-threatâ€, which they say includes Mr. Dion wanting to raise the GST.
Um, look again, dude.
The whole platform can be found in .pdf form 
Reforming or Abolishing the Senate
Ending the Ineffective Long-Gun Registry and Reduce Guns in our Streets
Some of you may have heard of this already; others, likely not. But if you’re involved in shooting sports in London or the surrounding area, you’ve probably already heard about the bigoted asshattery pulled recently by Thames Valley School Board Director, Bill “my head’s so far up my ass, I chew my food twice” Tucker.
As you likely guessed, the