Over the next couple of weeks I will be working on a plan that could bring about a large change to how the labour movement works in this country. Their feet will be held to the fire and let me tell you the details will be exciting. I will be forwarding this plan off to all levels of government and I hope with your support maybe change will come! Our country can and will become much more productive under this plan and allow for us to more evenly compete with the other economies of the world. Stay tuned!
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Return After Christmas!(Yes I Said Christmas!!!)
I will return to blogging after Christmas, I have had a very busy few months with business which is going to settle down in the new year. Please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy but safe New Year!
Remember the true reason for the season, enjoy time with your family and friends as they are the most important people in your lives.....
Remember the true reason for the season, enjoy time with your family and friends as they are the most important people in your lives.....
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Harper Keeps 1st Camaign Promise!
I, like most people in Canada, want tougher legislation for convicted criminals. I just hope that this legislation goes far enough to protect our people from repeat offenders. Longer sentencing is a must for any crime against children and we have to get rid of the law that also allows a convict to serve his sentencing at the same time. Two life sentences should mean just that, 25 years for the first and 25 for the second meaning that person will serve 50 years and not be on our streets to re-offend.
Harper government tables comprehensive crime bill
Getty Images
Sep 20, 2011 – 11:44 AM ET | Last Updated: Sep 20, 2011 11:45 AM ET
By Tobi Cohen and Jason Fekete
OTTAWA — The Harper government tabled sweeping criminal-reform legislation Tuesday that it says will make Canadians streets safer.
The omnibus crime bill, dubbed the Safe Streets and Communities Act, comprises nine individual justice bills, many of which were introduced in the previous parliamentary session but which the then-minority Tory government could not push through.
Speaking in Brampton, Ont., on Tuesday accompanied by a number of representatives from victims-rights groups, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the new legislation will include measures to protect children from sexual offenders, will target organized drug crime and will crack down on young offenders.
The legislation will also take away the option of house arrest for those who have committed serious violent and property crimes such as sexual assault, human-trafficking, arson, break and enter, child-luring and kidnapping, he said.
“Since coming into office, our government has accomplished a great deal when it comes to cracking down on crime and better protecting Canadians,” he said.
“But we know more needs to be done. Canadians want and deserve to feel safe in their homes and their communities.”
The government has vowed to pass the bill within the first 100 sitting days of the new parliament, which began Monday.
While the opposition has promised to oppose it, citing Statistics Canada data that suggests crime is actually going down in this country, the Conservatives now have a majority in the House of Commons, and no longer need the opposition’s support.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Republicans Win NY Race
Is this a sign of things to come in 2012? I am thinking it may be if, and I do mean if the GOP pick the right preson to run up against Obama. The results from two special elections last night makes it look like the people are really starting to tire of Obama's handling of the economy. The election is going to be about jobs and if the U.S. continues to tred water or even lose more jobs before now and then I think a one term president is what Obama will be. I believe I heard last night that this seat has been in Democrat hands since 1923, shows you what kind of shift is happening to the south of us.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/14/republican-wins-house-race-in-new-york-seen-as-obama-rebuke/#ixzz1Xx2CBpZn
Republican Wins House Race in New York, Seen as Obama Rebuke
Published September 14, 2011
| Associated Press
NEW YORK – Republicans have scored an upset victory in a House race that became a referendum on President Barack Obama's economic policies.
Retired media executive and political novice Bob Turner defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin in a special election Tuesday to succeed Rep. Anthony Weiner, a seven-term Democrat who resigned in June after a sexting scandal.
Related Video
Victories for Republicans in New York, Nevada
September 13: The crowd cheers as Republican Bob Turner appears on stage during an election night party in New York.
With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting, Turner had 54 percent of the vote to Weprin's 46 percent in unofficial results.
"We've been asked by the people of this district to send a message to Washington," Turner told supporters after the landmark win. "I hope they hear it loud and clear. We've been told this is a referendum. Mr. President, we are on the wrong track. We have had it with an irresponsible fiscal policy which endangers the entire economy."
Weprin did not immediately concede.
The heavily Democratic district, which spans parts of Queens and Brooklyn, had never sent a Republican to the House. But frustration with the continued weak national economy gave Republicans the edge.
Turner has vowed to bring business practicality to Washington and push back on spending and taxes.
The race was supposed to be an easy win for Democrats, who have a 3-1 ratio registration advantage in the district.
Weprin, a 56-year-old Orthodox Jew and member of a prominent Queens political family, seemed a good fit for the largely white, working-class district, which is nearly 40 percent Jewish.
But voter frustration with Obama put Weprin in the unlikely spot of playing defense. A Siena Poll released Friday found just 43 percent of likely voters approved of the president's job performance, while 54 percent said they disapproved. Among independents, just 29 percent said they approved of Obama's job performance.
Turner, a 70-year-old Catholic, vowed to push back on Obama's policies if elected. He received help from prominent Republicans including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose much-praised stewardship of the city after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was recalled during the 10th anniversary of the attacks last weekend.
Weprin became embroiled in New York-centric disputes over Israel and gay marriage, which cost him some support among Jewish voters.
Orthodox Jews, who tend to be conservative on social issues, expressed anger over Weprin's vote in the Assembly to legalize gay marriage. In July, New York became one of six states to recognize same-sex nuptials.
Former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat, endorsed Turner in July as a way to "send a message" to Obama on his policies toward Israel. And Weprin was challenged on his support of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site, in lower Manhattan.
The Democratic Party enlisted two of its biggest guns, former President Bill Clinton and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to record phone calls for Weprin. And Democrats relied on organized labor and other affiliated groups to bring voters to the polls.
The House seat opened up when Weiner was pushed by party leaders to resign after sending sexually provocative tweets and text messages to women he met online.
The trouble for Weiner, who served seven terms, began when a photo of a man's crotch surfaced on his Twitter feed. He initially denied the photo was of him but later admitted it was.
Weiner, who's married, resigned June 16 after two weeks of fighting off pressure to step aside. He apologized for "the embarrassment that I have caused" and said he hoped to continue to fight for the causes dear to his constituents.
In a special election in May, Democrat Kathy Hochul won a heavily Republican upstate district after pledging to protect Medicare, the popular government health care plan for seniors.
The state replaced outdated lever-operated voting machines last year in favor of paper ballots and optical scanners, which take more time to close and process. Polls closed at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and results trickled in slowly, but a Board of Elections spokeswoman said the vote-tallying system was running smoothly and there were no problems to report.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/14/republican-wins-house-race-in-new-york-seen-as-obama-rebuke/#ixzz1Xx2CBpZn
Friday 2 September 2011
FSIN - Guy Lonchild
Well, it never fails to amaze me how people with political ambitions can ruin something. You see Guy Lonechild, even with his few faults had done more for the FSIN than anyone in the past. Let's face it, in the past there were a long list of leaders within the FSIN with more of a checkered past than Guy ever had. He made a mistake and owned up to it, but that cannot overshadow all that he has accomplished can it? I think this was nothing more than someone else wanting his job and willing to do anything to force him out, time will tell if I am right but once this plays out I think we will see one of the chiefs that forced him out standing on the podium.
I have known Guy for many years, from his days down at the White Bear Indian Reserve, many days would be spent talking politics and you could see something like this was in his future. He had the ability to express his feelings on any situation and always seemed to have that calming influence on people that a leader really needs.
When it comes to Indian politics I think there is a lot that we don't understand, it is still something that is evolving and under Guy's leadership they made great strides in becoming a legit political force. It is just too bad that a few outspoken people had to get in the way, my only hope now is that this move doesn't set back the FSIN a generation by another round of leadership failures like they have had in the past.
Have we seen the last of Guy Lonechild in native politics? I hope not and many of the people that know him hope not as well. he has so much to offer and could have continued to do great things for his people. Maybe Guy just needs to step back for a few years before resurfacing a stronger and healthier leader and be able to prove all his naysayers wrong once and for all. There will be some who will say he got a great deal to walk away, anyone who knows Guy can without a doubt say that this is not what he wanted, he wanted to be able to lead his people and make a difference in the lives of everyone under the FSIN banner.
Guy Lonechild deserved better treatment from the Chiefs, and the people of the FSIN deserve better leadership from their Chiefs! Guy had them on the right track and now because of their political ambition they have sidetracked all of his great work. This was much more than a simple drunk driving charge, this was more about the usual FSIN politics than anything and they should not be holding their head high today.
I have known Guy for many years, from his days down at the White Bear Indian Reserve, many days would be spent talking politics and you could see something like this was in his future. He had the ability to express his feelings on any situation and always seemed to have that calming influence on people that a leader really needs.
When it comes to Indian politics I think there is a lot that we don't understand, it is still something that is evolving and under Guy's leadership they made great strides in becoming a legit political force. It is just too bad that a few outspoken people had to get in the way, my only hope now is that this move doesn't set back the FSIN a generation by another round of leadership failures like they have had in the past.
Have we seen the last of Guy Lonechild in native politics? I hope not and many of the people that know him hope not as well. he has so much to offer and could have continued to do great things for his people. Maybe Guy just needs to step back for a few years before resurfacing a stronger and healthier leader and be able to prove all his naysayers wrong once and for all. There will be some who will say he got a great deal to walk away, anyone who knows Guy can without a doubt say that this is not what he wanted, he wanted to be able to lead his people and make a difference in the lives of everyone under the FSIN banner.
Guy Lonechild deserved better treatment from the Chiefs, and the people of the FSIN deserve better leadership from their Chiefs! Guy had them on the right track and now because of their political ambition they have sidetracked all of his great work. This was much more than a simple drunk driving charge, this was more about the usual FSIN politics than anything and they should not be holding their head high today.
Friday 26 August 2011
Should This Surprise Anyone (Syria/U.N.)
Again, security council being held hostage by China and Russia. They are fighting more sanctions on Syria's Assad regime because it would make their own crackdowns on civil rights illegitimate in their eyes and may make the world pressure them more for changes. This is why the security council needs to be disbanded and a general vote on the floor of the main assembly with 50% + 1 vote wins. It is the only real democratic way to do things and would put more pressure on the non democratic states to reform or be sanctioned themselves.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.S. and European push to impose U.N. Security Council sanctions on Syria for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators is meeting fierce resistance from Russia and China, U.N. diplomats said.
The United States, Britain, France, Germany and Portugal circulated a draft resolution that calls for sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, influential members of his family and close associates. They said they wanted to put the draft to a vote as soon as possible.
The measures are not as severe as U.S. sanctions in place and a proposed expansion of European Union steps against Damascus that would forbid the import of Syrian oil.
Diplomats said there are no plans for a vote yet.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has hinted that Moscow would use its veto power to knock down the draft if it was put to a vote at the present time. Western diplomats said that Russia and China were refusing to discuss the draft.
"The Russians say they have no instructions," a diplomat told Reuters on Friday on condition of anonymity.
As a result, Western diplomats in New York said their capitals would have to get involved to persuade Moscow and Beijing to join negotiations on the draft resolution to reach a consensus among the 15 Security Council members.
"Clearly we need this to be unlocked at the capital level because there is very strong resistance from Russia and China," a diplomat said.
Brazil, India and South Africa have also been reluctant to sanction -- or even condemn -- Syria, whose five-month crackdown on demonstrators has killed at 2,200, according to U.N. figures from earlier this week.
But one diplomat said that the three powerful developing countries, all three of which aspire to one day become permanent members of an expanded Security Council, were now "constructively engaging on the text."
EMPTY CHAIRS
The council had scheduled an informal closed-door meeting of ambassadors on the draft sanctions resolution on Thursday afternoon, but the Chinese and Russian envoys boycotted the meeting, diplomats said.
"You see two permanent members of the Security Council who deliberately leave an empty chair," a diplomat said. "We hope that they will engage constructively."
Earlier this week Russian Ambassador Churkin told reporters that it was not the time to sanction Syria. After months of helping block any council action on Syria, Russia and China had backed an August 3 statement by the Security Council that condemned the government's crackdown and called for it to end.
Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa have repeatedly complained that the NATO intervention in Libya has gone far beyond the U.N. mandate to protect civilians from violence by the government the council approved in March. They say they do not want the same thing to happen in Syria.
Russia has long had close ties to Syria and is one of its main arms suppliers. One of the proposed sanctions is an arms embargo that would make it illegal for Russian firms to sell weapons to Damascus.
The sanctions would impose a travel ban on 22 of Assad's family and associates and an asset freeze on 23 Syrians, including Assad. Envoys said President Assad was excluded from the travel ban in order to give him an escape route.
"We want him to leave the country," a diplomat said.
The United States and EU have urged Assad to step down.
Russia, China resist U.N. Syria sanctions push: envoys
UNITED NATIONS |
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.S. and European push to impose U.N. Security Council sanctions on Syria for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators is meeting fierce resistance from Russia and China, U.N. diplomats said.
The United States, Britain, France, Germany and Portugal circulated a draft resolution that calls for sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, influential members of his family and close associates. They said they wanted to put the draft to a vote as soon as possible.
The measures are not as severe as U.S. sanctions in place and a proposed expansion of European Union steps against Damascus that would forbid the import of Syrian oil.
Diplomats said there are no plans for a vote yet.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has hinted that Moscow would use its veto power to knock down the draft if it was put to a vote at the present time. Western diplomats said that Russia and China were refusing to discuss the draft.
"The Russians say they have no instructions," a diplomat told Reuters on Friday on condition of anonymity.
As a result, Western diplomats in New York said their capitals would have to get involved to persuade Moscow and Beijing to join negotiations on the draft resolution to reach a consensus among the 15 Security Council members.
"Clearly we need this to be unlocked at the capital level because there is very strong resistance from Russia and China," a diplomat said.
Brazil, India and South Africa have also been reluctant to sanction -- or even condemn -- Syria, whose five-month crackdown on demonstrators has killed at 2,200, according to U.N. figures from earlier this week.
But one diplomat said that the three powerful developing countries, all three of which aspire to one day become permanent members of an expanded Security Council, were now "constructively engaging on the text."
EMPTY CHAIRS
The council had scheduled an informal closed-door meeting of ambassadors on the draft sanctions resolution on Thursday afternoon, but the Chinese and Russian envoys boycotted the meeting, diplomats said.
"You see two permanent members of the Security Council who deliberately leave an empty chair," a diplomat said. "We hope that they will engage constructively."
Earlier this week Russian Ambassador Churkin told reporters that it was not the time to sanction Syria. After months of helping block any council action on Syria, Russia and China had backed an August 3 statement by the Security Council that condemned the government's crackdown and called for it to end.
Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa have repeatedly complained that the NATO intervention in Libya has gone far beyond the U.N. mandate to protect civilians from violence by the government the council approved in March. They say they do not want the same thing to happen in Syria.
Russia has long had close ties to Syria and is one of its main arms suppliers. One of the proposed sanctions is an arms embargo that would make it illegal for Russian firms to sell weapons to Damascus.
The sanctions would impose a travel ban on 22 of Assad's family and associates and an asset freeze on 23 Syrians, including Assad. Envoys said President Assad was excluded from the travel ban in order to give him an escape route.
"We want him to leave the country," a diplomat said.
The United States and EU have urged Assad to step down.
Thursday 25 August 2011
Gadhafi Done In Yet?
Libyan rebels ready knockout punch for Gadhafi
Read more:http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Libyan+rebels+ready+knockout+punch+Gadhafi/5304563/story.html#ixzz1W3Wo7JvA
Monday 22 August 2011
Jack Layton, Dead at 61
My condolences go out to Jack Layton's family, Olivia Chow and Jack's close friends. Jack will always be known as a fighter and unfortunately we will not see his tenacity in the house of commons anymore. He will leave a legacy of resurrecting the NDP party and bringing them into official opposition for the first time this past may. Did I agree with Jack Layton's message and his views on how the country should be run? No, not at all but there was that respect for his views and for him as a person, he was able to connect with so many people at various levels which I think made him who he was politically. He had a fight in him that few people could pull off, yet at the same time would come off as a soft genuine person who truly cared about our country. I knew at his announcement that it was going to be one heck of a battle for him, he did not look good at all and it looked like he had already had such a setback that it would be most difficult to overcome. Today we lost a person who will be very hard to replace on the political stage, a person who transformed Canada's political landscape and a person who will leave a great legacy for for many people within his party and even those across the floor from him. RIP Jack Layton.
The party says Layton died peacefully at 2:45 a.m. (MT) Monday morning at his Toronto home, surrounded by family and loved ones.
The sad news comes just weeks after a gaunt Layton held a news conference to announce he was fighting a second bout of cancer.
“I will therefore be taking a temporary leave of absence as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. I’m going to fight this cancer now so I can be back to fight for families when parliament resumes,” said Layton at the time.
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
Layton was 61-years-old.
Federal opposition leader Jack Layton loses battle with cancer
Layton passed away in his home early Monday morning
First Posted: Aug 22, 2011 7:08am
Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton has died.The party says Layton died peacefully at 2:45 a.m. (MT) Monday morning at his Toronto home, surrounded by family and loved ones.
The sad news comes just weeks after a gaunt Layton held a news conference to announce he was fighting a second bout of cancer.
“I will therefore be taking a temporary leave of absence as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. I’m going to fight this cancer now so I can be back to fight for families when parliament resumes,” said Layton at the time.
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
Layton was 61-years-old.
Thursday 18 August 2011
Another Huge Down Day For Stockmarkets
Economic, Euro Malaise Ignites Wall Street Plunge; Dow Off 380
Published August 18, 2011
| FOXBusiness
Reuters
FOX Business: The Power to Prosper
Wall Street plummeted deep into the red, although well off of the lows of the session, as traders grappled with global economic fears and an escalating euro zone sovereign debt crisis.
Today's Markets
As of 12:07 p.m ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 404 points, or 3.5%, to 11,006, the S&P 500 slid 46.5 points, or 3.9%, to 1,147 and the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 106 points, or 4.2%, to 2,405. The FOX 50 plunged 29.8 points to 831.
Big financial institutions like Citigroup (C: 27.67, -2.18, -7.30%) and Morgan Stanley (MS: 16.12, -0.89, -5.23%) took strongest beating. However, the selloff was broad, with energy players like Halliburton (HAL: 41.84, -3.61, -7.94%) and industrials such as General Electric (GE: 15.38, -0.85, -5.24%) coming under intense selling pressure as well.
In a sign of the uncertainty in the markets, safe-haven assets rallied in early trading. Gold -- which hit a record high in the previous session -- jumped $22.80, or 1.3%, to $1,817 a troy ounce. The benchmark 10-year treasury rallied, with the price soaring over $100, and the yield slumping to an all-time low below 2%.
Volatility was quite high on the day. Indeed, the VIX, often referred to as a gauge of fear, spiked 33%.
The economy has come squarely back into focus with a heavy stream of economic data released on Thursday. Morgan Stanley also warned the global economy is "dangerously close to a recession" and cut its global economic growth outlook significantly. Goldman Sachs also pared back its forecast of economic growth.
Manufacturing in the Philadelphia area contracted sharply in August. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's gauge of manufacturing activity came in at -30.7, far short of expectations of 3.7. Reading above 0 point to expansion, while those below 0 indicate contraction.
A number below the -20 level is "rare outside of a recession" and poses a "very worrying development" for policymakers who are working to keep the economy afloat, according to economists at Barclays Capital.
The markets are being driven lower "not only be the euro zone ... but also a relentless release of domestic data that speaks to both an underlying inflationary environment and anemic – if not stagnant growth here in the U.S.," Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital Group said in a note to clients.
Wall Street has also been paying close attention to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe for several months. The fears peaked last week when reports suggesting certain large European banking institutions may have issues gaining access to sufficient capital sparked massive selloffs and volatility.
A report on Thursday by The Wall Street Journal saying the Federal Reserve is very concerned about major European banks facing significant funding difficulties rekindled those fears. The Fed was also worried that the crisis on the other side of the Atlantic could spillover into the U.S. banking system, according to the report.
Major European financial services companies like Societe Generale, Barclays (BCS: 10.34, -1.24, -10.71%) and UBS (UBS: 13.47, -1.16, -7.93%) took sizeable losses on the news.
Earlier this week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to quell market concerns after a summit failed to produce a specific solution to address sovereign debt concerns in the 17-member European Union.
Energy Markets Sell Off
Energy markets were under pressure amid economic concerns and a stronger dollar. Light, sweet crude plunged $4.39, or 5%, $83.27 a barrel. Wholesale RBOB gasoline dipped 9 cents, or 3.2%, to $2.78 a gallon.
In currencies, the euro fell 0.83% against the U.S. dollar, while the greenback climbed 0.41% against a basket of world currencies.
Data Deluge
Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 408,000 last week, from a revised 399,000 the prior week, coming in higher than the 400,000 economists forecast. Claims have been hovering about the 400,000-mark for weeks, which has led market participants to question the strength of the recovery in the jobs market.
Companies are firing at the slowest pace since the financial crisis in 2008, but hiring still remains too slow to "put a real dent in the unemployment rate," according to Peter Boockvar, managing director at Miller Tabak + Co.
Prices at at the consumer level climbed 0.5% in June -- a much faster pace than the 0.2% economists estimated. Excluding the more volatile food and energy components, the so-called core level was up 0.2%, which came in line with forecasts. Prices are up 3.6% from last year, or 1.8% on the core level. A report on Wednesday on producer prices came in above expectations on the core and headline levels.
U.S. existing home sales fell 3.5% in July from June to an annual rate of 4.67 million units. Economists had been expecting a 3.8% increase to a 4.9 million-unit rate.
Foreign Markets
The English FTSE 100 tumbled 4.5% to 5,092, the French CAC 40 plummeted 5.5% to 3,092 and the German DAX plunged 5.8% to 5,603.
In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 slumped 1.3% to 8,943 and the Chinese Hang Seng slid 1.3% to 20,016.
Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/08/18/daily-market-update/#ixzz1VOqXhrdy
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