Canadian Federal and Provincial Politics - The Northern Pundit

Reuters had a story (And has now removed) reporting a story that outlines how critics believe Paul Martin is boosting the separatist threat in Canada.

Although the scandal occurred under the Liberals, Martin says only a vote for him will keep Canada united. Early on in the campaign he declared the January 23 federal vote was “really a referendum election” — a phrase with powerful undertones.

When the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) was in power in Quebec, the province held
referendums on breaking away from Canada in 1980 and 1995. Both failed, but the PQ — now in opposition — says if it wins the next provincial election it will push hard for another vote on independence.

More nonsense attacks - the Liberals are the only party in PQ with any opposition to the Bloq.

Link (Broken)…

The Globe is reporting how Paul Martin’s Aide is apologizing for his earlier mentioned comment.

One of Paul Martin’s top aides apologized to Canadian parents yesterday after saying on national television that they would buy popcorn and beer with the money the Conservatives are offering for child care.

The Conservatives rolled out a child-care plan last week that would give parents of preschool children an annual $1,200 per child to spend as they see fit.

I hope (but don’t believe that it will) put the stops on this issue. I don’t want to hear about it anymore - discipline the guy or whatever and get on with the election. The other parties will hammer at this until the 23rd regardless.

Link…

A blog I have been following lately, M.K. Braaten has posted a fantastic dig which outlines a possible Insider trading issue relating to a company started owned by Paul Martin’s Former Current Doctor, Mediasys Inc. Trading volume on the Income Trust skyrocketed the day before Ralph Goodale’s Nov. 23rd annoucement that the government would cut the tax on dividends and not impose a new tax on income trusts.

By the way, who owns Medisys? Well, when they converted into an income trust in November 2004, 45% of the issued and outstanding shares were owned by directors and senior management at Medisys.

Who are these people? One is former Liberal Senator Leo Kolber. Leo Kolber has donated nearly $60,000 to the Liberals since 1993, including $17,500 in 2002 through his company 87215 Canada Ltd.

Seems the trading volume shot up 3200% the day before, with trades (despite reports of negative trends and prospecti) picking up 200,000 shares above the average 5k/day. Seems to me like an ‘inside’ tip got leaked to too many people.

Link…

[Thanks! to David W for the corrections!]

In one of the greatest yet most irrelevant issues yet in this election race, the Liberal4Life blog has turned me onto an Ottawa Citizen article regarding the Liberal Party of Canada using actual Liberal voters to pose as Liberal supporters in their campaign commercials. It’s a great post, and is worth reading:

And what does the article say about the Conservatives’ use of people who aren’t Average Canadians?

But the Conservative party’s televised advertisements so far in this campaign have featured … people who are clearly actors.

I suppose the alternative and most acceptable way to proceed making commercials would be to have Conservatives posing at Liberals and vice-versa.

Here it is as a Link…

The Globe reports Paul Martin has recently upset the whitehouse by stating on Thursday:

Mr. Martin chastised the United States at the UN conference on climate change on Wednesday as “reticent” for not ratifying the Kyoto accord. He also said the United States lacked a “global conscience.”

It then continues:

The Bush administration, reports suggest, was furious at the suggestion — considering it an infuriating, if cheap, electioneering ploy focused solely on Canada’s Jan. 23 vote.

But according to a spokesperson for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the meeting was constructive, not confrontational

I believe what Paul Martin has said is something that the majority of the entire world outside the US thinks - however it is an unappropriate situation. I agree with the whitehouse - it was a cheap shot to get some anti-US votes here in the Canada away from the NDP’s.

Link…

I have created a page outlining the 2006 Election Campaign Promises for the major non-Bloq party leaders. Feel free to comment or suggest additions/etc to improve the page.

I have not included the Bloq candidates as they are simply not an option for most Canadians outside Quebec, and the main reason that they would recieve votes is due to the separatist issue.

From 940news.com:

A campaigning Prime Minister Paul Martin planned to venture into a violence-plagued area of Toronto on Thursday to announce a sweeping ban on handguns, The Canadian Press has learned.

Martin was scheduled to visit Toronto’s troubled Jane-Finch area to make a “safer communities announcement.” Liberal sources confirmed Wednesday the announcement includes a ban on handguns.

One would think that making this part of your campaign would actually turn away more voters than it would gain, although I do not live in a high gang area of Canada.

I did NOT expect to see this as part of any campaign, especially after the Liberal botching of the federal gun registry in the recent past.

Link…

The Globe has a story featuring a snippit from Paul Martin’s handlers:

He’s [Harper] their biggest vulnerability and they’re jamming him down people’s throats every day

To me this is a weak attempt overall to ’spin’ the fact that Harper has campaigned harder than Martin. Why address it at all? It makes them look nervous that the conservatives may have gained some ground.

Link…

The Liberal Party of Canada’s website features a press release responding to conservative child-care critic Rona Ambrose’s statement on CTV’s Canada AM this morning:

“You’re not addressing their needs … So we just ignore 90 per cent of women across the country?” [By adopting the liberal childcare plan]

While the Liberal press release titled “Rona Ambrose Wrong on Child Care Plan” states:

According to Statistics Canada, fully 84 per cent of families have parents who are both in the workforce and 70 per cent of women with children under the age of six are employed

So who is right? Seems to me the most current census would have some answers.

However I cannot find any of this info in a quick glance on the StatsCan 2001 Census Data Website. Guess this one can be chalked up to Spin… For now. I have a hard time believing that either suggestion would simply ignore 90% of the women in Canada or help over 70% of them.

Link…

The Globe is reporting about Paul Martin’s response to Gilles Duceppe’s claim that he wants the Liberals ‘To Dissapear’ :

Let me just deal with what Mr. Duceppe said. I think that it demonstrates really the narrowness of mind, and an arrogance that is simply unacceptable,” Mr. Martin said in St. John’s. “It also I think reflects the fundamental philosophy that he espouses.

Duceppe knows he made a mistake here - not that I support the Bloc, but let’s be honest - is it really that bad what he said? I think it can be taken many ways and the Liberals are simply pouncing on the ‘nazi’-esque version, and could have approached it a lot more effectively. Link…