Trashy's World

This article flew a little under the radar, but in it, ReformCon Minister Maxime Bernier states that the cautious approach to climate change has been exactly what Canadians have needed since:

the debate on the scientific basis of climate, stifled for years by political correctness, finally broke out openly in the media

and that:

De très sérieux scientifiques croient toutefois qu’on sous-estime l’influence du soleil et d’autres facteurs qui n’ont rien à voir avec le CO2 dans l’étude des changements climatiques.

which, translated, says – more or less that there are some very serious scientists who think that the influence of the sun and other factors that have nothing to do with CO2 are underestimated  in climate change studies.

Good thing they are serious scientists…

Over at bloggingtories.ca, M. Bernier is being hailed as a hero! As the second coming of Jim Prentice! As a brave soul who is breaking away from the Mamby-pambyness of the Harperites and saying it like it is!

Here are some of the reactions:

My Friend Maxime Bernier is a… – “The reaction from the chicken littles has been of course hysteria. Keep up the good work Maxime. One day you will be HM PM.”

Thank you Maxime Bernier for being the first politician to have the courage to publicly acknowledge what we all have been aware of for the last several months – that the so-called ’settled science’  is unraveling and the alarmists’ hysteria is a crock as Lorrie Goldstein points out today – Mad Max makes sense.

Yikes! They are all a-twitter! NeoCons are excited! Look out!!!! Madness will ensue!

But seriously, this is a problems for this guy:

Harper relies on strict and unwavering adherence to the message. And Max has broken this sacrament. He may have a real internal problem on his hands and the opposition parties will undoubtedly point to this in the coming months.

Of course, the distancing has begun:

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice’s office was quick to distance itself from Bernier’s letter.

Prentice’s spokesman, Frédéric Baril, told CBC News that Bernier’s opinions are his own and are not at all in line with those of the environment ministers or the Conservative government

It will be amusing to see how this plays out… hee-hee…

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Ya gotta be kidding me.

The ReformCons are following what many other authoritarian regimes have done in the past -- use sport to whip up patriotism and take credit for the athlete’s successes.

But then, what else are we to expect?

But “Our strong leader”? Has Ms. Greene signed on not only as the Olympic ambassador but as a Harperite minion as well?

Ms. Greene Raine compares the athletes to “our strong leader,” Mr. Harper, who is in a competition of his own: “With our strong leader Canada will continue to compete with the world’s best,” she says. And Mr. Duffy, who also refers to his colleague as “my Olympic champion,” goes on to say, “We Conservatives are champions in our own right.”

Shameful.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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After today’s fairly successful protests across Canada, one could answer with a qualified “maybe”.

No, tens of thousands didn’t mobilize on the Hill. But most accounts put the crowd at 3,000 in Ottawa, 10,000 in T.O. and 25 K in total across the country. Not bad for the chattering classes, eh Tony?

Time will tell if these protests are indicative of an awaking of Canucks from our collective slumber and the beginnings of a movement to dethrone the Robot King.

Here’s hoping!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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…Doris Day is the new TB Prez. Didn’t see THAT comin’!

Mark my words. If the ReformCons are still in power a year from now, Public Servants everywhere will spit at the mention of his name. Not that the Harperites – or most Canadians outside of the National Capital Region- give a flying crap about the PS.

My gut tells me though that this is not a pre-election Cabinet. Moving Rona to PWGSC is a big move up for her, but I would think that the brainless trust in the PMO would want her in a more visible spot if we were in pre-election mode… gotta court the soccer Moms, right?

I also don’t feel that Vic Toews (admittedly, one of the less incompetent of the Harperites) is the right pre-writ “fit” with NRCan. Though they can’t do much worse than Ms. Raitt.

So. To summarise. Same gang. Different titles.

Yawn. Wake me up when we have an election…

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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I thought I would post a short note about why I keep going on about this whole proroguing shitstorm. I have received some comments, both here and on Facebook (from the Resident Love Goddess no less!) that I’m getting my knickers all in a twist about something that is constitutional and that the Grits had no compunctions about when they were in power.

1. I am essentially a non-partisan political creature. But I AM a bit of a lefty and am most assuredly anti Harper and anti ReformCon. I will – because of my nature – bitch a bit louder about them than the other parties.
2. if I had had a soapbox like a blog back when the Grits were the Government, I would have yelled at them equally as ferociously for proroguing Parliament for no real reason other than to avoid the world. Although it is a legal practice, it is an abuse of power like no other. How can we expect wanna-be democracies like Afghanistan (OK – I’m stretching it) to take us seriously if our own PM shuts down the doors of democracy whenever he needs to hide from something?
3. We can and should strive to do better. Past poor actions are no excuse for repeating them.  Just because it was done before does not make it right to do it again. Lawrence Martin puts it well in his article today in the G&M:

“Another line of defence (for those who don’t think that prorogation is such a big deal) is that Mr. Harper isn’t the only proroguer. Liberal PM Jean Chrétien did it too, although none of his closings could match the desperation of Mr. Harper’s prorogation of December, 2008. So what’s the big deal? This is a common Conservative defence refrain. As in, the Liberal record on global warming was terrible too. So what’s the big deal? As in, the Liberals sent disproportionate amounts of stimulus monies to their own ridings too. So what’s the big deal?

One big deal is that we’re supposed to be making progress, moving down the field, not staying on the 30-yard line.

Another is that we have a Prime Minister who thinks he can get away with anything, but who may well find out otherwise.”

And based on the latest polling numbers, maybe Canadians are starting to call him out on this.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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…but thanks to L-girl over at We Move to Canada for pointing this out.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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My fave ill-fated Bill is  C-58 – An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service Read 2nd time; referred to Committee.

One place where we need tighter controls is on this type of crap… and the Harperites let it die.

Sad.

1) C-6 – An Act respecting the safety of consumer products Passed 3rd reading in the House of Commons
2) C-8 – An Act respecting family homes situated on First Nation reserves and matrimonial interests or rights in or to structures and lands situated on those reserves Debated at 2nd reading
3) C-13 – An Act to amend the Canada Grain Act, chapter 22 of the Statutes of Canada, 1998 and chapter 25 of the Statutes of Canada, 2004 Debated at 2nd reading
4) C-15 – An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts Passed 3rd reading
5) C-19 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearing and recognizance with conditions) Debated at 2nd reading
6) C-20 – An Act respecting civil liability and compensation for damage in case of a nuclear incident Reported back from Committee with amendments
7) C-23 – An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Colombia, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Republic of Colombia and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Colombia Debated at 2nd reading
C-26 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime) Passed 3rd reading
9) C-27 — An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act Passed 3rd reading
10) C-30 – An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts Debated at 2nd reading
11) C-31 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Identification of Criminals Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act Referred to Legislative Committee
12) C-34 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts Reported back from Committee with amendments
13) C-35 – An Act to deter terrorism, and to amend the State Immunity Act Debated at 2nd reading
14) C-36 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code Passed 3rd reading
15) C-37 – An Act to amend the National Capital Act and other Acts Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
16) C-40 – An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act 1st reading
17) C-42 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
18) C-43 — An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Criminal Code Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
19) C-44 — An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act Debated at 2nd reading
20) C-45 — An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act 1st reading
21) C-46 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
22) C-47 — An Act regulating telecommunications facilities to support investigations Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
23) C-52 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sentencing for fraud) Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
24) C-53 – An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts 1st reading
25) C-54 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to the National Defence Act 1st reading
26) C-55 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code 1st reading
27) C-57 – An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Debated at 2nd reading
28) C-58 – An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service Read 2nd time; referred to Committee
29) C-59 – An Act to amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act 1st reading
30) C-60 – An Act to implement the Framework Agreement on Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America 1st reading
31) C-61 – An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of railway operations 1st reading
32) C-63 – An Act to amend the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act and another Act in consequence thereof 1st reading

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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While the rest of the planet is pleading countries like Canada to take a stand on GHG emissions, the Harperites are settling into their environmentally Neanderthal form.

Since I am somewhat lacking on the creative front at the present time, I quote a commenter on the cbc.ca site. What this dude is saying pretty much sums up how I and many Canadians, feel at the moment. Where is the paper bag?

For the first time in my life, I am embarrassed to be Canadian. I am embarrassed by my government and their flat-earth politics that cater to the oil industry.

And not just in terms of their backwardness regarding the pollution of our air and water. I am embarrassed at their policy of squandering our valuable oil reserves.

Other countries retain the ability to ensure that their reserves are extracted in a responsible manner that benefits the current and future citizens of their country. Our industry lapdogs sell it off to the highest investing foreign investor to extract as quickly as they wish. The foreign company gets the profits, we get one, maybe two, generations of wages.

I am embarrassed of what this country is becoming as our apathy permits the conservative lapdogs to sell out our reputation and non-renewable riches.

I tell my kids we live in the greatest country on earth. But, even at 7 years old, my son is already starting to question the flat-earth attitude. I guess the next thing to tell him is that, sometimes, the selfish greed of a few that don’t give a damn about future generations can rule the day.

Yeah. And how long can we put up with this?

I know Iggy et al haven’t been exactly inspiring, but can’t someone, ANYONE step up to the plate?

PLEASE?

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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So the Harperites and their taser-carry toadies, the RCMP, have decided that the appropriate response to the recent Greenpeace action on the Hill is to ban all those wearing Greenpeace t-shirts.

Heather Bradley, a spokeswoman for the Speaker’s office, said it is routine for guests to be obliged to remove attire that may “disrupt” proceedings.

“When someone is invited in as a member of the public in either the chamber or a committee, they’re invited in as an observer. That’s it,” she said.

OK. Fair enough. These are the ground rules. It is a little odd to respond to a massive security breach by banning a certain piece of clothing bearing a certain emblem, but whatever.  Even though I do not support Greenpeace, I do kinda like the t-shirt.

But then I got to thinking about what other kinds of t shirts may be interpreted as “disruptive” in the minds of folks like Ms. Bradley. I mean, why stop at Greenpeace? There shurely must be scores of cotton-blend upper body wear with logos and pictures that may disrupt the minds and actions of scores of cotton-blend wearing Upper and Lower House members!

For example, this one would be sure to disrupt the thoughts of any Honourable Member who had a yen to deke out behind the Parliamentary Library for a quick spliff!

Or what about this fine design that, while I personally think that peace is something worth celebrating, some members of the ReformCon caucus may find disruptive due to it’s somewhat anti-arms-industry message! Can’t piss off Boeing!

Along the same lines, all of those in the Reformatory caucus and some of the spineless wimps in the other parties may find this gem disruptive. After all, it would be wrong to demean the American organization that helped to begin the dismantling of the gun registry!

Needless to say, this one would disrupt the sensibilities of any and all who are not members of Leaf Nation!

Lastly, can you image the extent to which proceedings would be disrupted by this baby! Mammals of all party stripes would barely be able to contain their anger! As well, rumour has it that the noble dinosaurs is being considered as the symbol of the ReformCon Party of Canada. Like the easily recognizable elephant and donkey to the Republican and the Democrats in the south, the dinosaur represents all that encompasses those of the Harperite Cult: outdated, lumbering and soon to be extinct!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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