Saturday, December 30, 2006

Holiday News Roundup

1. Finally! The recognition Ralph deserves:

Former premier Ralph Klein is to be presented with the Cam Fella Award next month in Mississauga by Standardbred Canada. The organization says no other provincial government has been as supportive to Canadian horse racing as the Klein-led Progressive Conservative government in Alberta.

The provincial government is pumping about $63 million into horse racing this year alone.



2. I'll be updating my links and sidebar at some point in the next week and when I do, I'll be sure to include this new blog. More than anyone else around, Darryl defines what it means to be a Calgary grit, and it's great to see people blogging who have been around this party for as long as him.


3. While Darryl has been a Liberal for decades, this new blogger has been a Liberal for weeks - nevertheless, he'll also be up on the link list when I update.


4. I'm never one to jump to conspiracy theories, but something is rotten in the state of Denmark with this one:

OTTAWA — Canada's chief electoral officer, who was involved in a months-long spat with the Conservative party over whether it broke federal election laws, is resigning.

There was no immediate reason given for Jean-Pierre Kingsley's decision to step down as head of Elections Canada at the end of next month.

The Conservatives said Mr. Kingsley's departure and the dispute were completely unrelated.



5. So long Mr. President.


6. So long James Brown.


7. And, Saddam Hussein is dead.

21 Comments:

  • Of course Kingsley's stepping down has to be something dark and sinister. It couldn't have anything to do with the use of phony addresses in Anne McLellans riding, the vote fraud on the reserve in Gary Merasty's riding, non-citizens voting in Toronto. Maybe it's time for someone competent to enforce the rules.

    By Blogger nuna d. above, at 1:33 p.m.  

  • Now granted...this is a bit off topic...but if memory serves, Stephen Harper already won an election...and a Canadian election at that.

    By Blogger Leny Vilekoskytch, at 6:29 p.m.  

  • Thanks Dan, though its more accurate to say I'm a new Liberal then to say I'm a new blogger, as I have been "blogging" at Prog Blog with my diaries there as well as at BlogsCanada prior to that.

    By Blogger Oxford County Liberals, at 6:31 p.m.  

  • Since Kingsley couldn't be fired by PMSH, how is his resigning evidence of something dark & sinister? And as nuna d. above points out, the last election had more than a few hitches, maybe a report is about to be tabled and he doesn't want to face the music. Maybe he doesn't want to run another election.

    Maybe - just maybe - he just QUIT.

    Wow. Maybe you should have Gore interview him, there might be a movie in it.

    By Blogger Candace, at 7:03 p.m.  

  • Joe Green,might i suggest you get to a doctor right away as i think your head is about to explode.

    Perhaps before blathering on like a lunatic you sit back and examine the facts,such as what the only way for Kingsley to get booted from office is.

    You display serious paranoia that needs immediate medical attention.Anyone roling out the Nazi comparison proves themselves to be a true loser.

    Good luck with your issues.

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 8:02 p.m.  

  • Kingsley could resign under pressure from the PMO. Apparently he's not able to comment on this, which makes it even more suspicious to me.

    I'm really here to comment on Klein and gambling. My grandfather used to take me to the horse races when I was a small boy and I have fond memories of the races. I love horses. what I'm not a fan of is subsidizing gambling, and there's a lot of that going on here in Alberta. The province makes more money off of gambling royalties than it does from oil&gas royalties. Charitable organizations and cultural programs are dependent on gambling revenues. Most of the money comes from problem gamblers. It's an addiction and it destroys lives. (sorry for the rant).

    I'm sooo glad to see King Ralph gone, and I hope Stelmach makes some changes. The change we really need is for a different party running things in this province.

    By Blogger camsax@gmail.com, at 10:47 a.m.  

  • That slag about the Cam Fella award is just plain mean-spirited. Alberta has a long tradition of horse racing. We still have many rural residents who benefit from the industry.

    If the Liberals truly want to make gains in Alberta perhaps their most prominent blogger in the province shouldn't play to the urban-centric, snotty stereotype of his colleagues from the East...

    By Blogger Burt, at 12:44 p.m.  

  • renegadejet, Brian Mulroney's corrupt party has been IN office for a year. And that's who appointed Kingsley.

    By Blogger Reality Bites, at 1:04 p.m.  

  • ML, sorry, we don't want him. There is a theory that he is a liberal trying to make conservatives look bad.

    By Blogger Candace, at 4:56 p.m.  

  • As i said already,Joe Green needs some quick medical help.

    Some facts Joe.The Conservatives won the last election,meaning they won the most seats and had the highest percentage of the vote.

    As for your anti-America tirade,i am sure you buy no products produced in the States or are employed (if thats even possible), by a company who deals with U.S. customers.

    And once again you proved how you are a big loser by inciting the Nazi comparison.How pathetic.

    Now run to the hospital and ask for chemical castration.Someone as messed up as you should never be allowed to breed.

    And no,you never did address any of the questions put forth to you here.

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 4:56 p.m.  

  • for the record,

    joe green is very much a Liberal. Dionista and Orchardite.

    welcome to your new unified party, guys and dolls.

    By Blogger Tarkwell Robotico, at 11:18 p.m.  

  • Prediction for 2007: Calgarygrit goes to Haloscan so he can ban.

    Just guessin'

    By Blogger Candace, at 12:53 a.m.  

  • I'm personally, based on the info I have, satisfied with Kingsley's departure. I'm not convinced he was doing an ethical job of running the show. I stress that I do believe the outcomes of elections under his oversight achieved the electorate's desired outcome, and am not accusing him of fixing elections. However, I think it's best he give up his post, and I am happy he did so.

    Dart, I just put up a So Long message on my blog - I don't have the time currently to keep it up. I'll still be around to read and comment, however. Looking forward to a great new year of CalgaryGrit-itis.

    JaseyJase

    By Blogger Jacques Beau Vert, at 10:23 a.m.  

  • Well,i think Joe Greens most recent rants have proved our points about his illness/hate.Look at the times on his most recent posts.Parents must have locked him in the cellar while they went out to celebrate new years.

    First off Joe,born and raised in Ontario.Swing voter who goes back and forth between Liberal and Conservative.

    Second.it was Paul Martin who sent our troops to Kandahar,at which time he remarked there will certainly be casualties because of the dangerous mission.Google it.Its easy to find.

    Third.The Liberals campaigned against Nafta,then while in power 13 years,supported it.As for bringing up John Turner as PM,i don't even think i need to go there.

    I think you are mistaken on Klein.He quit.And after winning how many elections.How has your provincial debt been under Klein,as well as your booming economy?

    Your remarks about Harper not winning an election fairly?Well,he did win the last one,right?Well,the Liberals used adscam money over the course of four elections,one of those elections where it helped them win seats in Quebec and maintain a majority.

    As for your remarks about Kingsley,please tell us how Harper removed him.Better yet,tell us the process needed to remove Kingsley from office.

    You refer to Morton as senator in waiting.Guess your not aware Harper wants senators elected,not cherry picked.And terms restricted to 8 years.

    As for Haper "coming to Canada",sorry,he was born and raised here in the GTA.

    As for all the vile,name calling racism and false statements,i think we should all just ignore Joe Green.CG using haloscan to ban comments like his might become an neccesary evil.This blog has always been one where everyone can come and argue their side of an issue.Just a shame when this type of thing ruins it.

    So to Joe Green,good luck with your issues.To everyone else,Happy new year and look forward to blogging with you.

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 12:41 p.m.  

  • 1. "Here you see a tirade from a tongue tied Social Creditor from Alberta that brought eugenics into law in the Province. Its no wonder that he believes and advocates chemical castration in all its inhuman forms"

    You said in an earlier post i was an Albertan.I am the one born in Ontario,get it?

    2. I'm the swing voter i alluded to.And i voted Conservative last election and probably will in the next.

    3. You almost had it right.Chretien did send our troops to Afghanistan under Nato.When Martin was PM he agreed to deploy our troops to Kandahar,where he made the statement about inevitable casualties.

    4. You need to do some research as to how many jobs have been created under Nafta.The economy did indeed triple,with a big part being the results of Nafta.And one of the biggest growth provinces during this time period,under none other than Mike Harris.And i know your going to say it was Liberal policies that spurred this growth.Well,hate to burst your bubble but when Chretien was asked why the Ontario economy was prospering under Harris he attributed it to the U.S. economy,even though companies opening business here gave credit to tax breaks brought into effect by Harris.

    5. Again,you referred to Morton as a senator in waiting.Harper has proposed elected senators and terms no longer than 8 years.If Morton ever became a senator it would be by being voted in by Albertans,not picked by Harper.Want a good example of why this is a good idea.Art Eggleton,an appointed senator.Know why Art was booted from cabinet?But apparently he's fit to be a senator.

    6. Uh,Joe,who won the previous election with a minority?And how much did it accomplish compared to what Harper has in 10 months and what he has ready when parliament resumes.And if i'm not mistaken,he's already lasted longer than Clark's reign of power and may last quite longer than Martin,unless you know the date of the next election and just wont telling us.

    7. Klein stated for some time he was not going to run again for re-election.This was when the pressure was applied to have him step aside.And once again Joe,how was your economy and provincial debt under Klein?Please answer that.

    8. "Canadian Elections are supposed to be free of fraud, graft and corruption and usually are.

    "Again do some research.Start with McLelland's riding with mystery voters registered to a warehouse address.Then the riding where the Conservative was leading and near the end someone was offering $20 and a ride to get them to vote Liberal.Check the results of the 1997 election and the seat count in Quebec.Now imagine how some of those close ridings might have swung without adscam money.And you never addressed the fact Martin gave one of Kingsley's family members a job in his office,Know what conflict of interest is?

    And you have still not given the proper answer on how Kingsley can be removed from office.


    "Still another "neocon" calling for censorship in the time honoured tradition of fascism."

    Maybe you should point that out to Cherniak,who likes to post and then when proven wrong won't put the posts with the information on his blog.

    Nice to see you debate without the Nazi references,but unfortunately"

    Paulsstuff 8, Joe Green 0.

    Actually,i'm feeling pretty generous with the holidays and all.I'll give you the Klein one,even though i disagree.

    Paulsstuff 7, Joe Green 1

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 4:49 p.m.  

  • Lose the arguement vand go back to calling them facists.So sad.Under Klein,your economy has flourished,your debt eliminated,your taxes lowered,the value of your property skyrocketed,and unemployment dropped dramatically.Pretty bad record.It was under Klein the tarsands were finally used to their economic fullest.

    As for Harper,he simply wants Canada returned to the days of Mulroney,Clark,et al.It was the Liberals who decided to stick their noses in areas of provincial and municipal jurisdiction.It was also these same Liberals who cut $25 billion from health care to the provinces.Question Joe,how many times did the federal Liberals promise millions for the Toronto waterfront.Heres a hint,just count the number of elections between 1993 and 2006.Also,how many of these areas of jurisdiction did the Libs stick their nose in,only to see costs skyrocket as friends and relatives of the party.

    As for Klein getting fired,he actually had handed in his resignation letter effective October 2007,it was after he handed in his resignation that the party wanted things moved up and a new leader named sooner.

    As for me wearing rose-colored glasses,you put out points,i proved them wrong with facts to the contrary.

    So to correct things.

    Paulsstuff 8, Joe Green 0

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 1:07 p.m.  

  • Well I am an Albertan too.

    I distinctly remember the Klein government making cuts long before oil and gas prices began to rise.

    There were 5% rollbacks for all members of the civil service, including teachers and extensive layoffs in the first few years following Klein's election as Premier. The provincial liquor board was disbanded and liquor distribution privatized.

    A provincial law was passed outlawing deficit budgeting even when the price of oil was less than $20 per barrel.

    Klein made tough cuts and the accumulated debt was well on the way to being paid off by 2000 before oil prices began seriously rising.

    I am a Lyle Oberg supporter. He made a difference in every ministry that he served in but did an outstanding job in Education.

    But under no circumstances did he force Klein from office. Oberg's outspokeness got him booted from cabinet and caucus.

    It was the result of a party leadership vote that caused Klein to accelerate his already announced departure.

    By Blogger Down & Out in L A, at 10:24 a.m.  

  • First off,those logging practices are in place across Canada pretty much,is that Klein's fault.And what is the criteria the logging industry must follow when clear-cutting forests Joe?

    As for your statements on the rapacious nature of Klein with the tarsands,earlier it was you who stated none other than Saddam Hussein could have balanced the budget because of these oil reserves.So what are you saying now,the tarsands should not be developed?

    Good post down and out.When Klein came into power oil was selling pretty low,and Alberta like most other provinces had a debt problem.Klein addressed those problems well before the price of oil skyrocketed,a fact lost on Joe Green.And Joe,further proof Klein had already resigned,not gotten fired as you reported earlier.

    And this latest brilliant tidbit from Joe Green:

    "These "neocons" cannot walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. The environment is proof of that."

    Been in power since the end of January,yet all the pollution and enviromental damage done under 13 years of Liberal rule is their fault right?Hey Joe,guess who the enviro minister was who brought in "voluntary" targets for the oil industry in your province?Think real hard.

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 3:31 p.m.  

  • If you want to bring up loan guaranteesmdig a little and see what Bombardier got during the Liberals 13 years in power.Next,try and find out how much of these billions was repaid.

    As for your rant on clear cutting forestsmit goes on all across Canada.Try looking at B.C and its clear cut logging.Or Newfoundland and Labrador.Sa,e thing,and last i checked,neither Klein or the Alberta Conservative party are in charge there.

    As for nuclear power,its a wonderful idea,but the Pickering generation plant near me is a perfect example of why many governments are reluctant to invest in it.I've lost track of how many billions they have spent on thus thing over the years and its still never running at normal capacity.

    As for comparing Alberta's oil industry to Saskatchewan,seems like a huge differance in size of ongoing production.

    I do agree its sad how much our enviroment is destroyed by industry.But no government,regardless of leader or party,has the balls to do anything about it.Much of Quebec has seen enviromental damage from logging.Do you think Dion would curtail this industry if he was PM?Not a chance.

    Your remark about Chretien was interesting.So your saying Chretien put money before the enviroment.Hmmmm.And one of his ministers was Dion.

    By Blogger paulsstuff, at 11:27 p.m.  

  • I buy electricity for my employer and am chair of the organization that opposed electrical deregulation in Alberta for years.

    For those that want the facts and respect accuracy, go to this site:

    http://ets.aeso.ca/Market/Reports/CSDReportServlet

    Forming a responsible opposition and appearing as a credible alternative requires a degree of self control.

    We may turn more people off than we attract with hysterical rants so it may be time to consider the purpose and value of the discussion.

    When the audience and participants diminish to two or three, the topic may have run its course.

    By Blogger Down & Out in L A, at 11:47 a.m.  

  • WOW!!! Just found your blog. THIS IS AMAZING!!!!

    By Anonymous Baggy goth pants, at 6:52 a.m.  

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