Tag Archives: Toronto Sun

Canada Was Being Transformed Due To Stephen Harper’s Government

MacLean’s columnist, Paul Wells, wrote a book on Prime Minister Stephen Harper entitled “The longer I’m Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada 2006 –“.  In this book, the author warns that as the years pass with Harper in office, Canada is being radically transformed.

The Longer Im In Power Book Excerpt

Truthfully, Canada is being transformed because of Stephen Harper’s government in Ottawa  – just not in the way that Paul Wells anticipated it would be.  Wells pictured our federal government being fashioned into a reflection of a Reagan-esque Washington, where an enduring small-c government will be his legacy.

If Wells is right and that was Harper’s goal, then he hasn’t accomplished it.  Canada’s Economic Action Plan was one of this country’s largest ever public spending policies and Harper’s government has run deficits each year in office, except for the last budget.

But Stephen Harper has changed Canada, and in at least one case irreparably, because of his influence on Provincial politics.

Stephen Harper

Over the course of the past 50 years, provincial leaders have postured during campaigns that Ottawa has been unfair to their province.  Trudeau’s National Energy Policy was pure gold to the Alberta PC’s led by Peter Lougheed.  Anti Liberal sentiment has endured and kept the PC’s in power for more than a generation after Trudeau left office.

Canadian voters inherently understand the need for checks and balances by electing a strong Premier who promises to guard against the power of the federal government.

The trend in Ontario is if the Prime Minister is a Liberal, then the Premier will be a PC – and vice versa.  This trend has been going on for generations.

In reaction to Stephen Harper being Prime Minister, Ontarians have sleep-walked into re-electing Liberals who have put in place policies that have devastated the Ontario economy.  Seven years have passed since the great recession and Ontario shows scant few signs of recovery.  The crown jewel of the Ontario economy, it’s manufacturing sector, has left Ontario after years of artificially high energy costs and unnecessary red tape.  Local economies once buttressed by auto manufacturing are left reeling under Kathleen Wynne’s government.

The longer that Stephen Harper remains Prime Minister, the deeper the chasm for Ontarians created under provincial Liberal mismanagement.  With public debt loads skyrocketing, it will soon be impossible for the next generation to find its footing after a decade of reckless waste.

What is going on in Ontario today under the ardently left wing government of Kathleen Wynne should be a splash of cold water in the faces of Albertans who recently voted to give a majority mandate to the NDP.

Alberta had 42 years of provincial PC power.  During that time, they saw four conservative Prime Ministers, Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, and Stephen Harper.  (Clark and Campbell held power for only a few months and they had little impact on provincial politics.)

When Mulroney won his massive majority by piecing together a winning coalition of conservative voters in Alberta and Quebec, his government elicited a jarring reaction from Alberta voters.  Rather than change the provincial government, Albertans birthed a new federal party, the Reform Party, and booted all of the federal PC’s out of the province in the next election.

And the provincial vs. federal dynamic played a role in last night’s Alberta election results.  A former high ranking cabinet minister in the Harper government, Jim Prentice was soundly rejected by voters, ending the PC dynasty as the party moves from first to third in the provincial legislature.  Simply put, Jim Prentice was too close to Stephen Harper.  And when Alberta’s only sound opposition, former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith,  shocked her party to join Prentice in an attempt to “strengthen forces” we saw the idea backfire magnificently in last night’s results with a crushing Orange wave.  Alberta voters did not trust Prentice to provide the checks and balances that will see the province through the economic crisis brought on by low oil prices.

Does an Alberta Orange Wave mean that Stephen Harper’s support in Alberta is waning?  Will we see prominent cabinet ministers defeated on October 19th?

Anti-Harperites might think so but there really isn’t a chance the CPC will lose seats in Alberta this time around.

Alberta has an Albertan Prime Minister.  Many of the most powerful cabinet ministers are also Albertan.  When Harper retires, his successor will likely also be an Albertan.

Alberta voters have people in Ottawa that they know they can count on.

On the other hand, the two other federal options can be easily discounted.  Mulcair and Trudeau are both from Montreal and each have a checkered history with Alberta oil interests.

Rather than change the Prime Minister, Alberta voters decided that they will change the provincial government instead .

Checks and balances will be restored in the voter’s minds. For the Silo, Maddie Di Muccio.

Click me!
Click me!

ABOUT MADDIE:

A former municipal town councillor in Newmarket, Ontario, Di Muccio often appears as a political pundit in the media and her freelance columns in the Toronto Sun discuss political issues across Canada. She currently serves as President of York Region Taxpayer’s Coalition and President of the Society for Quality Education.

Minister Matthews asks Opposition to stop backtracking on Youth tanning bed ban Bill 30

Ontario's ruling Liberals want to ban Teen Tanning but need support to pass the legislation.
Ontario’s ruling Liberals want to ban Teen Tanning but need support to pass the legislation.

 

 

 

“PCs and NDP Threaten to Stall Youth Tanning Bed Ban” (Queen’s Park)  One day after calling on the government to fast-track Bill 30, legislation to ban youth access to tanning beds, the PCs and NDP are threatening procedural tricks to stall the bill in the Ontario Legislature.

“When the House returns next month, our government will move a programming motion in the Legislature in order to quickly pass this life-saving bill into law by the end of September,” said Liberal MPP Deb Matthews.  “The PCs and NDP have already pledged to support Bill 30 – it’s concerning to hear the opposition parties might play procedural games to prevent this vital legislation from passing.”

Matthews was referring to published media reports that indicate both opposition parties are backtracking from a commitment to fast-track the tanning bed ban:

·         NDP Health Critic France Gelinas said Thursday the Government should pass the legislation “fast, very fast…[Ontario Liberals] controls the calendar.” (Toronto Sun, August 22, 2013). Today, Gelinas said the Liberals “are not in control” and “can’t simply push legislation through the house without getting agreement from the two opposition parties.” (Toronto Sun, August 23, 2013).

·         The PCs said Thursday “We support the legislation” and called for a time allocation motion to secure speedy passage (Toronto Sun, August 22, 2013).  The same day, the PCs wouldn’t confirm if they will follow through on their pledge to fast-track the Bill (Globeandmail.com, August 22, 2013).

“It’s time to put an end to the procedural games blocking our efforts to pass new tanning legislation so we can prevent skin cancer among young Ontarians.  MPP France Gelinas has been unclear on whether or not she will support our efforts to fast-track this legislation.  I would like a clear answer from Ms. Gelinas – yes or no – will her party help us get this bill passed before the end of September?  All MPPs have a shared responsibility to make the legislature work so we can help to keep young people safe,” stated Matthews.

The proposed legislation would prevent skin cancer among youth and create awareness potential harm by prohibiting the sale of tanning services to youth under 18.  It ould also require that tanning bed operators request identification from anyone who appears under25 years old.

Last spring, the opposition blocked progress on Bill 30, Skin Cancer Prevention Act(Tanning Beds), 2013 by needlessly extending debate on three other bills for more than55 hours – far more than required.  By running out the clock debating the Local Food Act, the Air Ambulance Amendment Act & Co-op Housing legislation, the  opposition prevented this important tanning bed legislation from moving forward.

 

Supplemental- Sunlight burning Vampires http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/59697-sunlight-burning-vampires

 

 

 

Sweet Greens Juice Bar Hagersville