bishop's falls to buchans

Monday, May 16, 2005

Latest Fair Deal Campaign is Wrongheaded

From CBC in NL:

The Conservatives were the first to offer the fair deal on the campaign trail in 2004. Premier Williams used it as leverage to get the same deal from Paul Martin. Stephen Harper has pledged to meet the commitment.

Mr. McCann, the author of the campaign, should know better. He says that the province should come before party. Au contarire, by voting for the Liberal budget Mssrs. Doyle & Hearn, the targeted MPs, would be putting shortsighted priovincial advantage before their duty to the nation!

Update:
Daimnation concurs: http://www.damianpenny.com/mt-tb.cgi/218

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION

38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 095

Committees of the House
Public Accounts
The House resumed from May 9 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.
The Speaker: The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to the motion of concurrence to the first report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in the name of the hon. member for Edmonton--St. Albert.
The question is on the amendment.
* * *
(1825)
[Translation]
(The House divided on the amendment which was agreed to on the following division:)
(Division No. 82)
YEAS
Members AbbottAblonczyAllisonAmbroseAndersAnderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands)AndréAsselinBachandBattersBellavanceBenoitBergeronBezanBigrasBlaisBoireBonsant
BouchardBoulianneBourgeoisBreitkreuzBrown (Leeds—Grenville)BrunelleCardinCarrieCarrierCaseyCassonChattersChongClavetClearyCôtéCrêteCummins
DayDemersDeschampsDesrochersDevolinDoyleDuceppeDuncanEppFailleFinleyFitzpatrick
FletcherForsethGagnon (Québec)Gagnon (Saint-Maurice—Champlain)Gagnon (Jonquière—Alma)GallantGaudetGauthierGoldringGoodyearGoukGrewal (Newton—North Delta)
Grewal (Fleetwood—Port Kells)GuayGuergisGuimondHangerHarperHarrisHarrisonHearn
HiebertHillHintonJafferJeanJohnstonKamp (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission)
Keddy (South Shore—St. Margaret's)Kenney (Calgary Southeast)KomarnickiKotto
Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings)LaframboiseLalondeLapierre (Lévis—Bellechasse)LauzonLavalléeLemayLessardLévesqueLoubierLukiwskiLunnLunneyMacKay (Central Nova)MacKenzieMarceauMarkMénard (Hochelaga)Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin)MenziesMerrifieldMillerMillsMoore (Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam)Moore (Fundy Royal)NicholsonO'ConnorObhraiOdaPallisterPaquettePensonPerronPicard (Drummond)PlamondonPoilievrePoirier-RivardPrenticePrestonRajotteReidReynoldsRichardsonRitzRoySauvageauScheer
SchellenbergerSchmidt (Kelowna—Lake Country)Simard (Beauport—Limoilou)
SkeltonSmith (Kildonan—St. Paul)SolbergSorensonSt-HilaireStinsonStrahlStronachThibault (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques)Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest)Thompson (Wild Rose)TilsonToewsTrostTweedVan LoanVellacottVincentWarawaWatsonWhiteWilliamsYelich
Total: -- 153
NAYS
Members AdamsAlcockAnderson (Victoria)AngusAugustineBagnellBainsBakopanosBarnesBeaumierBélangerBellBennettBevilacqua
BlaikieBlondin-AndrewBoivinBoninBoshcoffBoudriaBradshawBrisonBroadbentBrown (Oakville)BulteByrneCannisCarrCarrollCatterallChamberlainChanChristophersonCoderreComartin
ComuzziCrowderCullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley)Cullen (Etobicoke North)CuznerD'AmoursDaviesDesjarlaisDeVillersDhallaDionDosanjhDrouinDrydenEasterEmerson
EykingFolcoFontanaFrullaFryGallawayGodboutGodfreyGodinGoodaleGrahamGuarnieriHolland
HubbardIannoJenningsJulianKadisKaretak-LindellKarygiannisKhanKilgour
Lapierre (Outremont)LastewkaLaytonLeBlancLeeLongfieldMacAulayMacklinMalhiMaloney
MarleauMartin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca)Martin (Winnipeg Centre)Martin (LaSalle—Émard)Martin (Sault Ste. Marie)MasseMatthewsMcCallumMcDonoughMcGuintyMcGuireMcKay (Scarborough—Guildwood)McLellanMcTeagueMinnaMitchellMurphyMyersNevilleO'BrienOwenPacettiParadisParrish
PatryPetersonPettigrewPhinneyPickard (Chatham-Kent—Essex)PowersProulxRatansiRedmanReganRobillardRodriguezRotaSaadaSavageSavoyScarpaleggia
ScottSgroSiksaySilvaSimard (Saint Boniface)SimmsSmith (Pontiac)St. Amand
St. DenisSteckleStofferSzaboTelegdiTemelkovskiThibault (West Nova)TonksTorsneyUrValeriValleyVolpeWappelWasylycia-LeisWilfertWrzesnewskyjZed
Total: -- 150
PAIREDNil
The Speaker: I declare the amendment carried.
[English]
The next question is on the main motion, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
Some hon. members: No.
Hon. Karen Redman: Mr. Speaker, I wonder if you could seek unanimous consent to apply this vote so that members present in the chamber having voted on the previous question be deemed as voting on this question, with all Liberals in the House voting no.
The Speaker: I sense there is no consent to apply the vote. All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.
Some hon. members: Yea.
The Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay.
Some hon. members: Nay.
The Speaker: In my opinion the nays have it.
And more than five members having risen:
* * *
¼ (1835)
[Translation]
The House divided on the motion which was agreed to on the following division.
(Division No. 83)
YEAS
Members AbbottAblonczyAllisonAmbroseAndersAnderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands)AndréAsselinBachandBattersBellavanceBenoitBergeronBezanBigrasBlaisBoireBonsant
BouchardBoulianneBourgeoisBreitkreuzBrown (Leeds—Grenville)BrunelleCardinCarrieCarrierCaseyCassonChattersChongClavetClearyCôtéCrêteCumminsDay
DemersDeschampsDesrochersDevolinDoyleDuceppeDuncanEppFailleFinleyFitzpatrickFletcher
ForsethGagnon (Québec)Gagnon (Saint-Maurice—Champlain)Gagnon (Jonquière—Alma)GallantGaudetGauthierGoldringGoodyearGoukGrewal (Newton—North Delta)
Grewal (Fleetwood—Port Kells)GuayGuergisGuimondHangerHarperHarrisHarrisonHearnHiebertHillHinton
JafferJeanJohnstonKamp (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission)
Keddy (South Shore—St. Margaret's)Kenney (Calgary Southeast)KomarnickiKotto
Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings)LaframboiseLalondeLapierre (Lévis—Bellechasse)LauzonLavalléeLemayLessardLévesqueLoubierLukiwskiLunnLunneyMacKay (Central Nova)MacKenzieMarceauMarkMénard (Hochelaga)Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin)MenziesMerrifieldMillerMillsMoore (Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam)Moore (Fundy Royal)NicholsonO'ConnorObhraiOdaPallisterPaquettePensonPerronPicard (Drummond)PlamondonPoilievrePoirier-RivardPrenticePrestonRajotteReidReynoldsRichardsonRitzRoySauvageauScheer
SchellenbergerSchmidt (Kelowna—Lake Country)Simard (Beauport—Limoilou)SkeltonSmith (Kildonan—St. Paul)SolbergSorensonSt-HilaireStinsonStrahlStronach
Thibault (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques)Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest)Thompson (Wild Rose)TilsonToewsTrostTweedVan LoanVellacottVincentWarawaWatsonWhiteWilliamsYelich
Total: -- 153
NAYS
Members AdamsAlcockAnderson (Victoria)AngusAugustineBagnellBainsBakopanosBarnesBeaumierBélangerBellBennettBevilacqua
BlaikieBlondin-AndrewBoivinBoninBoshcoffBoudriaBradshawBrisonBroadbentBrown (Oakville)BulteByrneCannisCarrCarrollCatterallChamberlainChanChristophersonCoderreComartin
ComuzziCrowderCullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley)Cullen (Etobicoke North)CuznerD'AmoursDaviesDesjarlaisDeVillersDhallaDionDosanjhDrouinDrydenEasterEmerson
EykingFolcoFontanaFrullaFryGallawayGodboutGodfreyGodinGoodaleGrahamGuarnieriHolland
HubbardIannoJenningsJulianKadisKaretak-LindellKarygiannisKhanKilgour
Lapierre (Outremont)LastewkaLaytonLeBlancLeeLongfieldMacAulayMacklinMalhiMaloney
MarleauMartin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca)Martin (Winnipeg Centre)Martin (LaSalle—Émard)
Martin (Sault Ste. Marie)MasseMatthewsMcCallumMcDonoughMcGuintyMcGuire
McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood)McLellanMcTeagueMinnaMitchellMurphyMyersNevilleO'BrienOwenPacettiParadisParrish
PatryPetersonPettigrewPhinneyPickard (Chatham-Kent—Essex)PowersProulxRatansiRedmanReganRobillardRodriguezRotaSaadaSavageSavoyScarpaleggia
ScottSgroSiksaySilvaSimard (Saint Boniface)SimmsSmith (Pontiac)St. AmandSt. DenisSteckleStofferSzaboTelegdiTemelkovskiThibault (West Nova)TonksTorsneyUrValeriValleyVolpeWappelWasylycia-LeisWilfertWrzesnewskyjZed
Total: -- 150
PAIREDNil
The Speaker: I declare the motion carried.
Hon. Stephen Harper: Mr. Speaker, we have just voted on a motion that was agreed to on a clear majority, a motion which calls upon the government to resign.
¼ (1840)
[English]
By all of the established conventions of our democratic system, when the government faces a clear vote on such a question, it is required to do at least one of three things: it is required to fulfill the terms of the motion and resign; to seek a dissolution; or at the earliest moment, to ensure that it indeed has the confidence of this chamber, which is the only democratic mandate this government has to spend our public money.
Since I understand that the Prime Minister, in his desire to cling to power at all costs, has refused to do--
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
The Speaker: The hon. Leader of the Opposition is trying to raise a point of order. I know it is going slowly because there is a lot of noise, but perhaps he could come to the point of the point of order quickly because we need to know what the point of order is.
Hon. Stephen Harper: Mr. Speaker, since the government has refused to follow either of the first two courses of action, I would challenge the Prime Minister, if he believes he has the constitutional authority to govern, to rise in this place and call for a vote of confidence, if he believes he has it from this House.
The Speaker: A challenge to the Prime Minister does not a point of order make, but perhaps the government House leader is rising to respond to this point of order?
Hon. Tony Valeri: Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond and ensure that any Canadian who is actually watching the proceeding clearly understands that the leader of the official opposition has no knowledge of what in fact the motion actually said that he put forward.
It is an instruction to a committee. That instruction to the committee and the issue of it not being confidence is supported by Marleau and Montpetit and many other experts in procedure and constitutional affairs.
I would suggest that the leader of the official opposition leave as he is and we will continue to govern on behalf of Canadians.
[Translation]
The Speaker: The leader of the Bloc Québécois now has a comment to make on the point of order.
Mr. Gilles Duceppe: Mr. Speaker, I would just like to point out that—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Gilles Duceppe: If the people across the way could just stop yelling.
I would just like to point out that the vote by each member of the Bloc Québécois constitutes a vote of non-confidence in the Liberal government, which no longer has the necessary moral authority to govern and which is headed by a prime minister who is discredited more every day in this House, as well as by the revelations coming out of the Gomery inquiry.
The Speaker: Obviously there are no points of order in this. The leader of the Bloc Québécois has stated his opinion. We can therefore continue with other House business.
[English]

Mr. Paul Szabo: Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, you determined that the last vote was carried. It was on a motion that the matter be referred back to committee. You did not say that. Is it in fact the instruction of this House that this matter now be referred back to committee?
The Speaker: Yes, it is.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

non-confidence: Public Accounts Committee

First, Hill's amendment passed 153-150 making the motion one of Non-Confidence. Then the motion was passed by the same count.

...The NDP and two Independents (presumably Kilgour & Parrish) voted with the Liberals against the motion.

Two cabinet ministers, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler and Natural Resources Minister John Efford, were not there for the vote.

CPC 99 + BQ 54 vs. Lib 129 + NDP 19 + Ind. 2.

On Harper's subsequent Point of Order, Valeri clings to tenuous arguments stating that it is merely a vote to refer the matter back to committee.

A sad day for Parliamentary democracy!



A few observations:
  • even if Libs had full caucus they still would have lost 153-152.
  • Labrador byelection on May 24 will go Liberal, no question!: 153-153.
  • Wild card is Cadman. He makes it 154-153 if he sides w CPC. Liberals fall!

crabs, blueballs, lice...

If there was ever a difficult industry to manage it is the fishery. History shows a greedy, immoral seascape of servitude, neglect and destruction.

Newfoundland battles the demons once again with the crab fishery. At first glance I fully supported the gov'ts. position in that it took on the FFAW union which has grown much too big for its britches. http://www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca/release/crabrelease.stm

However I now find myself in a dilemma; if I truly believe in free markets the fishermen should be able to sell their catch to the highest bidder. The companies that manage the fish processing plants should have to compete, making their efforts sensible i.e. no more make work projects, no more old, inefficient plants. They can't be used as instruments of social engineering by the goverment any longer. If a plant needs to close then the company should make that decision, not the gov't. (Similar issues arise on a daily basis in newfoundland with the forestry industries and others.)

Of course, the "free market" precept that the fishermen base their outrage on is flawed vis a vis the old quota program. The quotas, in essence, pick the winning and the losing boats.

It's a gordian knot which has no simple answers...

54-40 or fight...

Well, it's now official, history was made when Newfoundland and Nova Scotia made the deal with Paul Martin this past winter. It was the beginning of the end of Canada but I didn't see it coming. The asymmetric federalism has devolved into a cash grab of epic proportions. We will never see tax cuts or small government again and the ties that bind are becoming less and less relevant.

As GG II, Ralston Saul, says, (and, while admiring his intellectual rigour, there's much with which I disagree) nationalism is growing and in Canada that exemplifies itelf as provincialism. http://www.rfcafe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=2577&

The Feds should look after their constitutional responsibilities, the criminally neglected military being one classic example, and clear the "tax space" for the appropriate levels of government to fund their responsibilities. Anything more leads to excessive political manipulation, bloated, ineffective bureaucracies and faulty public policy.

Friday, May 06, 2005

To Live & Die in the Great White North

Watched Question Period online yesterday. (gotta love technology!) Pretty much farcical but it's still the most entertaining part of the HoC. Pretty low standards of discourse.

Even as a staunch, small c, conservative and a card carrying Conservative, I think it behooves the Torys to tone down the Paul Martin jabs a little; just a little mind you. The web of deceit will soon enough ensnarl the guilty. Let the testimony continue unabated; avoid childishness and peevish thrusts and parres a la Libranos, kkk, etc. and take the moral high ground; leave the muck to the bloggers and journalists. The nation deserves as much. Furthermore, lapdog Brison's retorts about Guite's credibility actually make sense.

ttfn