G&M, is that all you've got?

Am I the only one who fully expected former PM Mulroney to deny allegations that he was involved in Schreiber-gate? Clearly, this paper felt it was worthy of front page news. Now I like blaming Mr. Martin for everything from the Athabasca tar sands to the on-going saga of Craig Chandler. It IS a fun pass-time. But for goodness sake people, it is not front page news when he denies allegations! That is what any sane ex-PM would do. Especially after what happened to dear old Conrad.

I knew there was I reason I like the Orange & Green.

I would give myself an "A+" too!

In the latest adventures of PC Party leader, and premier of Alberta, Ed Stelmach graded himself on his governments "performance" so far this year. Just for fun, I am going to give my own account of this "performance." FYI, here is the party statement on "Unsteady Eddie", as I believe Brian has been calling him.

Post-Secondary Education:
- consultations have happened - as promised, but the implementation has yet to happen. I wonder if this stakeholder will actually be listened to for a change?
- A new system of institutional cooperation has been created. It means the UofA, UofL, and UofC become research institutions. Grant MacEwan, Mount Royal, and similar institutions are now primarily undergraduate facilities. Note how RDC is left out of the top two tiers.
- Oh, and there has been "some progress" on increasing support for community literacy. Because, we wouldn't want those old people to be able to read, and actually realize how they are being screwed by this government, would we?

Environment:
Let's just say this portfolio is a royal screw-up. If I commented further about the Nuclear proposals, boreal forest destruction, and high cancer rates in communities near industrial areas *Ft. Chip*Strathcona County*...well, this would just become angry and nasty. No one wants that.

Municipal Affairs & Housing
Given how these two politicians responded to the provincial government on municipal funding, infrastructure, and general support for cities...I can safely say this is a royal screw up too. What have municipalities gotten? A Ring Road and chump change to deal with around 7000 combined homeless persons. And then there was the screw-up with the housing assistance fund. Okay, so the housing fund fell under Iris's ministry. The point is made.

I think that is all I feel like saying. Mostly, because I am getting progressively more frustrated with the governments inability to function in a way that benefits the people who put them in office.

The News of the Day

Flaherty is contributing to GHG's; the Liberals hate nuclear medicine; and the NDP shake their collective heads at these childish parliamentary games.

To be more precise, Flaherty is whining because the NDP are trying to prevent another cut in the GST from making it through the house. I think this quote from the Globe and Mail online comments section:

"the poor are required to spend what little money they have on basic food and rent, which already are GST free. Additionally, the poor in this country get a rebate on the GST four times a year, and that amount goes down as the GST does. The people who benefit from a GST cut are those with a lot of disposable income to buy new cars and LCD tvs"

Nevermind that the CRA-ARC said this has to pass parliament before gaining royal assent - wait, didn't the last cut go through in this fashion? Besides, we all know the Liberals are going to sit on their hands - again - for this one, so all this really becomes is a political cheap-shot by Flaherty.

Now, about how the Liberals "hate" nuclear medicine. Well, not so much, perhaps - just perhaps - they are worried about the slight chance of a nuclear meltdown. Especially when a Prime Minister can only say "there will be no nuclear accident". Imagine a Terminator-esq accent with that, and the ridiculousness of playing partisan games with people's lives makes both the Liberals and Conservatives look even more ridiculous.

Drumroll, please...

Announcing the Newest Winner of the prestigious "Fossil" Award....

CANADA

Of course, we must thank the Harper Conservatives. For, without their diligent work done to ignore global warming, this could never have happened! Had they allowed the Clean Air and Climate Change Act to make it past committee, perhaps Canada would not have won this prestigious award. Of course, we cannot forget this group of "Progressive" Conservatives (I think that's an oxymoron...) who allowed "intensity targets" to govern the Athabasca Tar Sands.

And just in case a Royalty Review made it a little bit too difficult for the worlds' worst contributors to global warming, here's a shout-out to Stephen, for lowering those.

All in all, well done Harper Conservatives, now we truly do stand out in the international community.

Although, just as a thought, I would rather Canada stands out in the international community by winning...whatever the opposite of a Fossil award is. FYI Mr. Harper, here are a few ideas that might help you out.

Lyle Oberg "I'm out"

I guess they all have to leave eventually. After fifteen years, it appears that Lyle Oberg will be officially announcing his retirement from the Alberta political scene in a few hours from now. The only remaining question, why?

Perhaps his disagreements with Steady Eddie finally became to much to bear. After all, there is only so much of the "hot seat" a possibly bitter leadership candidate can handle. Besides, this "loose-cannon" could be considered a liability, what for all the "skeletons" from the deep-six era Oberg may have up his sleeve. Perhaps Steady Eddie is more cunning than his "Honest Ed" nickname would suggest, and really did threaten demotion. This, despite what everyone's favourite spin-doctor would suggest.

I guess it is true, there really is no room for personal opinion when you are part of a one-party state.

Tory Connections & Government Jobs

Really? Is anyone actually surprised by this anymore? It is like hiring from within for junior minister roles in Alberta. Or for senior department bureaucrats in Saskatchewan. After the Sask Party came into power, there was a fairly quick "shift" in who held senior bureaucrat positions in the government. I guess it does come down to who you know when it comes to appointments and employment within the government.

Harper's Nuclear Agenda

Gary Lunn, when will you learn that a club created to "promote nuclear energy and reduce the amount of nuclear waste that is stored in the United States" is not a club that Canadians want to join? While Lunn, Harper, and the rest of the CPC lackey's were busy defending the fact that Canada is the largest exporter of Uranium in the world, Jack Layton brought a bit of sense to the media circus that is Parliament Hill.

"Nuclear energy is prohibitively expensive. It takes too long to bring online. It will not stop climate change. It is dangerous because of the waste product and, furthermore, national security should be a key part of the discussion. After all, India's nuclear weapons program got started with a research reactor from Canada, so there is a great deal that must be debated."

Lunn has taken this opportunity to speak about the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, while media is sufficiently distracted by Karlheinz Schrieber and the evens in Bali. This is just another example of how Harper's Team is acting in a way that only a government with a majority mandate from Canadians should act.