Lucky 13?

A single poll is but a snapshot of what some Canadians are thinking. Depending on the polling algorithms, it could be exactly what Canadians are thinking, or it couldn't be more wrong.

A series of polls, even if the algorithms are not accurate, tend to reveal trends in the attitudes of Canadians. A party is either gaining momentum, or is falling apart.

Decima Research's poll from February 23rd shows 3 primary trends:

1. The Liberals are slipping. They are not yet as bad as on the eve of the last election, but unless Stephane Dion can staunch the flood of support to other parties, he could end up making John Turner's 40 seats in the 1984 election "an improvement."
2. The NDP has been gradually losing support since the last election. Looking at one poll by itself would not show this trend, but when you match up the last 20-30 polls in a row, the trend is unmistakable.
3. The Greens are trending upwards, are now at a level of support which makes us a major player in the next election.

Personally, I think there is a lot of room for the Greens to grow. As Canadians get to know party leader Elizabeth May better, they are going to find someone who is articulate, well versed on the issues, charasmatic, balanced, and in politics to make Canada a better place. When Canadians see the strength of leadership Ms. May offers, coupled with the sound social, economic and environmental policies of the Greens, they will decide to give her a strong mandate in the next Parliament.

A Line in the Sand

Tonight I sat down and watched "An Inconvenient Truth" by former US Vice-President Al Gore.

I watched the DVD from the perspective of someone who was already convinced a long time ago that global warming is not a theory, but a fact that had to be addressed. Even so, the movie was still an eye opener.

I grabbed a screen shot from the movie that shows the amount of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere, and the temperature in the same era, over the course of the last 650,000 years. (Based on core samples from the Antarctic). You can see a direct comparison between a rise in CO2 and the temperature. Each of the dips coincides with one of the 7 historical ice ages. Based on this trend, the CO2 levels have never surpassed 300 parts per million.

To the right the red line (for the CO2) climbs dramatically, with 2 yellow dots near the end. The first one is present day CO2 levels. The second one is the projected CO2 level in 50 years time if action is not taken to stop the increase of the pollution we are placing into the atmosphere. The end of that line is off the scale; notice that the line does not level off either when it leaves the scale.

As I said earlier, I watched the movie as someone who already realizes the need for action to avoid a human catastrophe in my lifetime. Again, the movie was an eye opener. I can only imagine what affect this movie has on skeptics (read: Tories).

When I was 18 in the winter of 1993, I was driving home in the middle of a snow storm. Like most teenagers, I thought I was invincible, and wasn't really paying attention to the blizzard around me. Driving at the usual 80 km/hr down the country road to my parents home with one hand on the steering wheel, I was making good time. About 5 minutes from home, the blizzard became a white out. I decided that I should slow down a little bit, but when I pressed the brake, the car did not respond. Next thing I knew it, my mother's car was in the ditch. So much for that cloak of invincibility!

The issue of global warming is just like that. For too long we (humans) have considered ourselves to be invincible, and have carried on as we see fit. Despite warning signs that have been visible for over 40 years, we are still plowing through life at a fair clip, oblivious to the looming disaster up ahead. Mankind might be ready to start putting on the brakes at some point. The question is, will the earth respond to those brakes, or will be careen into the ditch anyway?

If you have not seen "An Inconvenient Truth", you owe it to your family to do so. Then consider this question: Do the political parties now in Parliament have the moral fortitude to take the necessary steps to avoid this catastrophe? If the answer is no, then what is the alternative?

I've made my choice; the Green Party of Canada.

Full Circle

In February 2005, the last formal tie I had with the Conservative Party of Canada ended, when my employment in the Leader's Office ended.

As most people who know me - or have read this blog in the past - understand, my last year with the conservative movement was not happy one. One can argue that the party changed to the point that I was no longer able to fit in. One can also argue that I changed to the point that I no longer was able to fit in. I think it's a bit of both.

When I departed, I thought that was it for me and politics. It has been in my blood since I was a child, and thought that 'quitting cold turkey' would get it out of my system.

For almost two years, I've done everything possible to not think of politics. I even severed my ties with old colleagues and friends to put it in the past, and start fresh. That was hard; these are people who I worked almost 15 years with, and were very dear to me.

The problem I have had is that I've had no passion for private sector jobs. Working hard just so that a shareholder is richer hasn't appealed to me. My desire to do something for the public good has remained as strong today as it was when I first joined the Reform Party way back in 1991. (I can't believe it's getting close to 20 years ago. Makes me feel old!)

Last week I saw a position on the Green Party of Canada's website for an IT person. Funny enough, it's almost exactly the type of work I did in the past.

I applied.

And guess what?

I got the job. I'm back in politics. Back working for a party that believes in making Canada as a whole a better place, while leaving nobody behind, and doing so without compromising on ethics.

I'm honoured to be a part of this organization, and hope not to let them down.

Strange how things turn out, isn't it?

A Vote for Intelligent Poll Workers

My husband and I just went to vote in our municipal election. We weren't on the voter's list, but had photo i.d. on hand. The man at the front table directed us to the correct poll table, where we were greeted by an old woman who had the gall to tell us that we would not be permitted to vote without a voter's registration card.

My husband showed her his photo i.d., an Ontario health card. She took the card from him and said it would not be acceptable in place of a registration card because it doesn't have his address. He turned the card over and showed her that his address is in fact on the back of the card. She squinted at the health card, adjusted her glasses, announced that she can't read fine printing, and gave him a ballot, telling him to go to stop at the next polling station to fill out a form.

Next I told her that I had no voting card, but had brought photo i.d. with me. She handed me a ballot, without even checking my i.d. (For all she checked, we could have been residents from some other riding or city, trying to vote in this area.)

At the next polling station, my husband and I filled out a form. The lady noticed that we already had ballots and asked where we got them. So we explained that the old woman had sent us to her table to fill out forms. The woman growled that the first woman should have given us forms to fill at her polling station, and "why didn't that lady know what she was doing?!".

Finally we were both allowed to vote, believing the system to be a joke. And they wonder why voter turnout is so low!

The Resurrection of Common Sense

A friend sent me the following email. In a world whose motto has become, "It's All About Me", I have decided to post this email, in hopes that it will resurrect Common Sense in enough people, to help society get their priorities straight.



THE SAD PASSING OF COMMON SENSE

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common
Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how
old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red
tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as
knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the
worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense
lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you
earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in
charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old
boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental
consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a
student; but could not inform the parents when a student became
pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you
couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the
burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed
to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little
in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense
was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife,
Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else
is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Senor Bad-Bad Drives Mother Mad-Mad

.....(short trip)

A friend of mine, who will remain anonymous, recently emailed me to say hello and fill me in on the latest news about her family. I laughed myself silly when I read what she had to say about her son. Being a mom can be tough, and I think it's great that she can keep her sense of humor through the frustrating times.

He started crawling about 3-4 weeks ago and immediately pulled himself up on furniture and cruised around. He's into EVERYTHING and loves to climb the stairs. And he is stubborn. Apparently "no" in the male infant dictionary is defined as "try repeatedly with increased determination". I am now calling him Senor Bad-Bad. We're hoping to get him baptized in a few weeks and I'm afraid the holy water will start to bubble and burn him.

Garth, On Record

GregFulton.com has a great interview with Garth Turner today, about the decision to turf him out of the Tory caucus, and his ability to perform his tasks as an MP.

Garth's comments are bang-on with my long-held opinion of this incarnation of the Conservative Party, lead by Mr. Warmth.

This snippet sums it up nicely:

"Members of the government cannot ask a question unless it has been approved by the minister, the person they are actually asking the question to; they can’t make a statement in the House unless it has been approved, and they’ve been given permission. They can’t speak during a debate, unless they’ve received permission. And even during committee meetings, which is usually a place where MPs usually are pretty free, government MPs cannot ask questions unless they’ve been approved by the government."

He further goes on to talk about the vital element of the Reform Party that I feel in love with, but is so direly lacking in this Frankenstein Party:

"I also regret that one of the best things of the Reform Party, which was its populism and grassroots democratic spirit is no longer evident. I think that’s a real sad thing."

I admit that my personal opinion is laced, in party, with bitterness with the demise of the Reform Party. But, it is more so with the death of a major, democratic conservative party in Canada. Mr. Warmth's present course will possibly result in the populist segment tearing away once the trappings of power are gone with their next electoral loss. If I was a betting man, I'd say that was a distinct possibility.

Garth's experiment as an Independent MP will be an interesting venture, indeed. I hope he is rewarded with being re-elected, either as an 'Indie', or as a Green Party MP.

Blame Harper: The Game the Whole Family Can Enjoy

The Tories limped into power on a promise to make politicians more accountable. To make Parliament more democratic than under the Liberals. To enpower MPs like never before.

Have a read at a section of today's Toronto Star:

"If the Prime Minister wants to find the problem with his legislative agenda, has he tried to take a look in his own mirror?" Graham said in the Commons.

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe said the Tories are worse in government than the Liberals because they're not only arrogant, they're incompetent. "I would say they're paralyzing themselves," Duceppe told a news conference. "And since they have almost no experience in the House, they're worse than the Liberals in the procedures because they're acting like amateurs."

NDP Leader Jack Layton also blamed Harper. "He has an arrogant and controlling attitude to his caucus, to the media, to the Canadian public, and also to the representatives (in opposition) of a majority of the Canadian people. "There is no desire on the part of his government to work with other parties."

Meanwhile, Mr. Warmth claims that it's the Liberals who continue to be 'anti-democratic':

"The behaviour of the Liberal Party is arrogant and anti-democratic," Mr. Harper told reporters after a meeting with Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon. "That's really the problem. They haven't accepted the decision of the electorate."

But of course, what Mr. Warmth did to Garth Turner wasn't. Taking to task hard-working grassroot volunteers in a local riding association isn't anti-democratic either, I suppose.

The Conservative Party of Canada is, at best, a hollow shell of what integrity should be. A far cry from the days of the Reform Party, when we came to Ottawa to make real changes to the system, instead of insuring the present system continues to be useless to the day-to-day lives of Canadians. (Except, for perhaps a comedy show on CPAC.)

Yes, Election 2007 will be nasty. But, the stakes cannot be higher. We will have to choose between two paths: continue down the road where our government means nothing to Canadians, or elect a party that will continue a legacy of progressive values that ensures all Canadians can have an opportunity to improve their lives.

I, for one, made choose which road to travel 2 years ago when I left the party of Mr. Warmth and later joined the Green Party.

Reverse Taxation Freedom Day, Ecological Style

Most Canadians are painfully aware of Tax Freedom Day. It's that day of the year where our paycheques stop going to the government and starts going into our own pockets. (For me, it was May 9th). For many Canadians who earn a decent living, it's closer to June 30th.

I'm willing to bet that most of you are not aware of Ecological Debt Day though. It is the day when every human on the planet - all 6.3 billion of us - start consuming more resources than the earth can replace. I never heard of this myself until last week on the Ontario Green Party's website.

We first went into ecological debt in 1987, which was on December 19th that year. Since then, the gap has been widening. By next year or the one after that, we will likely be pushing the date into September.

Depressing, isn't it?

A Green Future for Garth?

Almost everyone who cares about Canadian politics is aware of Garth Turner being ousted from the Tory caucus because he - *GASP* - has a backbone, and tells people his views.

Frankly, I'm not surprised. Stephen Harper acts like a school yard bully, and the people who surrounds him at the top inner circle (at least while I worked up in the Leader's Office) simply carried out that agenda. A contrasting opinion was not welcomed, or tolerated.

It now appears Mr. Turner has an awesome opportunity: to become Canada's first Green Party Member of Parliament. By doing so, he would become a voice for the Green Party in Parliament. It would give the Green Party access to Parliamentary resources, like the other political parties (including the speratist Bloc Quebecois). It would remove the one last excuse that prevents Green Party leader Elizabeth May from participating in the upcoming leadership debates: a sitting MP.

The Green Party would, in turn, have to be filling to do everything in their power to ensure Mr. Turner gets re-elected. It's a big risk, and he would need as much support as possible.

The next couple of weeks should be very interesting in Canadian politics, despite the 'Clean Air Act' non-event. I, for one, will be watching very closely.

Sickly but a Real Trooper

Kids are biohazards. I kid you not. (That was really punny, wasn't it?)

Our two daughters have been exchanging the flu for the past week or so. It finally caught up to me last night, like a ton of bricks. I've had a massive headache, chills, and cramps all over. I'm a real baby whenever I'm sick. In times like this, I stay in bed...usually...

But, I had to get up today. No choice. I had a job interview for a promotion at my workplace. I've been there for less than 5 months, and already have a great opportunity for advancement. I wasn't going to let watery eyes and a runny nose prevent me from having taking full advantage of such a great opportunity.

So...I sucked it up, took my licks, and went to the interview. I should know early next week if I'm fortunate enough to get the advancement this time around or not.

Needless to say, as soon as the interview was over, I high-tailed it home, and went back to bed. Like I said, I'm a real baby when I'm sick. I'm up right now long enough to have breakfast...a cup of tea...

And now back to bed until the world ends...or until I feel better...I'm easy...

Rick, Liz and a Chain Saw

My wife and I are big, BIG fans of Rick Mercer. We're also big, BIG fans of Elizabeth May. Which made watch the Rick Mercer Report tonight even more entertaining, which had Ms. May cutting down a tree.

Okay...cutting a tree down in itself is not the most exciting thing in the world. But, having a Green Party Leader cut down a tree was a great piece of work.

The Green Party has become a mainstream party in Canadian politics thanks in part to the previous leader, Jim Harris. With Elizabeth at the helm, watch for our first MP to be elected within two elections at most.

What Will we Leave Behind?

Just how much impact do we humans really have on the earth? If mankind disappeared tomorrow what would be the immediate effects? Would there be any trace of mankinds existance after 200 million years?

Find Out!

I'm a Calvinist?

I saw this on the Christian Telegram. Thought I'd give it a try.

You scored as John Calvin. Much of what is now called Calvinism had more to do with his followers than Calvin himself, and so you may or may not be committed to TULIP, though God's sovereignty is all important. Anselm 100% John Calvin 100% J�rgen Moltmann 67% Paul Tillich 33% Jonathan Edwards 33% Charles Finney 33% Augustine 33% Friedrich Schleiermacher 33% Karl Barth 33% Martin Luther 20% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

I'm My Own Grandpa

This Sims video cracked me up. Check out "I'm My Own Grandpa" here.