Anonymous said...
We should vote for Tim because we know him and he's a good guy?WTF?I also happen to think Tim is a good guy but we're trying to elect a Federal government here - not a grand marshall for the Sanata Claus parade.
Either you go for Harper's "steady as she goes" approach with lower taxes and modest spending or you drink the Liberal kool-aid - "handouts for everyone" paid for by a huge tax hit disguised as a climate plan.
The same guys that promised to scrap the GST but instead gave us the 1 billion dollar gun registry, the 1 billion dollar Jane Stewart scandal, the sponsorship scandal, the $500 million helicopter cancellation, the Kyoto agreement they signed and then ignored for 12 years, the 5 billion Kelowna Accord (native handout) they signed and ignored. We should bring that kind of government back because Tim's a good guy? NOT! (sorry Tim but there's no way Dion's getting my vote.)
And to that I offer the following:
Thank you for your comment. It gives me an opportunity to further explore and articulate my own thinking.
For me, the most important function of a Member of Parliament is caring for the needs of the riding as they relate to federal affairs. Community and individual needs are a large component of that responsibility. Easy communication with the person we elect is key.
Over many years ,Tim Jones has established a record of community involvement. He knows his way around government. He has forged a reputation as caring, hard-working and honest. From my perspective, these are first essentials of a candidate for public office. The country would benefit enormously if all parties were represented by people of similar background.
It is naive to suggest one political party has a monopoly on incompetence and crass opportunism.
The federal issue I care most about is Canada's role in foreign wars and the senseless waste of human lives.I disagree that young Canadians should be placed in harm's way to accomplish a questionable objective. I am not persuaded our politicians know better than the people of Afghanistan what is best for them in their own country.
Our current Prime Minister is on record as being in support of American President George Bush in the invasion of Iraq. The U.S. has lost half a million young Americans in a war for which there is no end in sight and is known to have been based on deliberate misinformation. How many sons and daughters of Canadians would have been added to that figure had Stephen Harper been Prime Minister?
For me, nothing takes priority over this issue. But there is also the matter of how Stephen Harper feels about us. I don't think he likes us. He clearly hates the attention of the media. I don't think he trusts the members of his own party. I believe he wants all power in his hands. We know very little about the man but what we do is not reassuring. I do not believe we can trust him.
What about the revelations Afghanistan involvement has cost billions more than previously stated ? And the figures were deliberately misrepresented to indicate a fraction of actual cost.?
What about the clear manifestations of public sorrow when caskets are brought home from that distant place? Does that count for nothing?
The government's platform indicates they plan to spend more money on prisons and wars and less on arts and culture which would allow young Canadians to develop their skills to make a meaningful contribution to the society which is theirs to create.How's that for positive vision?
You are not wrong about villainy in high places.. But if people had the opportunity to judge, as you do with Tim Jones ,it is the only way to ensure integrity within government. He is a decent, honest caring, competent, hard-working Canadian and you know that for sure.
But besides that, when Jean Chretien indicated in the Federal House, “we will not send young Canadians to die in Iraq” , he was cheered by his members. On that day, they secured my vote for as long as I have it to give.
Friday, 10 October 2008
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4 comments:
In response to "In response ..."
I'm sure we can agree to disagree 'til the cows come home on the merits of a Conservative vs. Liberal government. After all, that's what democracy is all about.
I must however, take issue with a couple of points. First of all, it was Martin's Liberal government that committed Canadian troops to the NATO Afghan mission. The Liberals also voted with the Harper government to extend the mission to 2011. The cost of 18B released in the Page report refers to the estimates for the period of 2002 to 2011 when our troops will be withdrawn. Apparently Jack Layton feels the Harper government has tried to fudge the numbers but that's hardly proof of a conspiracy and is more likely a case of how you read the numbers. Of course we grieve for our fallen, as do I'm sure, the citizens of 21 other coalition nations that have lost troops. The hope is that the Afghan people will be able to stand on their own but time will tell and critics should remember that the "war cost" includes estimates for reconstruction as well.
Harper did stand in favour of our involvement in Iraq which in hindsight has proven to have been unwise. On the other hand, Chrétien’s reasons for refusing to send troops to Iraq are open to debate and may very well have been based on political expediency as much as wisdom and forethought. Incidentally, the Americans have lost just over 4000 troops killed in action, not a half million. Iraqi casualty estimates, while much higher, are a subject of vigorous debate.
I certainly do wish Tim well but we are casting votes that will determine the next federal government where party politics always trumps individual MPs. We've seen what the Liberals had to offer for many years and Dion hasn't convinced me it won't be more of the same.
Harper is certainly not without faults (although I'm not so sure aversion to the media is one of them) but overall I like his style and the fact that so far he hasn't tried to bribe me with my own money.
So I guess we'll agree to disagree.
"...we are casting votes to determine the next federal government where party politics always trumps individual MPs..."
Well that's the problem isn't it? shouldn't we be "casting our votes" for the person that will best represent us in Ottawa? Isn't that the purpose of the local MP?? And that person is Tim Jones NOT Lois Brown.
With all due respect, she seems like a nice person but in terms of tangibles - experience, knowledge, leadership, governance - Lois Brown has nothing to offer us. She parrots the Conservative doctrine but clearly doesn't understand it - even stating a liberal attack ad word by word and clearly out of context in a debate this week - won't take questions because there's no "script" for questions she hasn't heard in advance. She didn't answer even one question directly during the debate that I saw - instead she babbled on and on about nothing. Bleating out platitudes and bafflegab and not much else. Her extremely rude almost american style in their aggressiveness campaign team all the while screaming out insults and heckles. Juvenile, hostile antics...pathetic.
And let's face it - god forbid - but if lois brown got elected she certainly wouldn't be in Cabinet, she wouldn't even be given the time of day by Harper and his cronies - she's a woman and an obvious lightweight. So what "Voice" would she bring to the Hill?? She could scream herself hoarse and she still wouldn't be heard. Newmarket and Aurora would get nothing.
So really it is all about the right person for the job. I'm not voting for Dion, Harper, Layton or May - my choice is for Jones, Brown, Seaward or Hubbers (no offence Dorian! and that other guy...)
I would prefer to go with someone who knows his community, who will speak for his community, who has demonstrated for almost 3 decades that he works for his community - Tim Jones.
Like him or not, you cannot deny that he has worked hard for his community and will continue to do so. He's been elected 10 times. I think that says a lot.
Lois Brown is a two-time loser. I think that says a lot too.
Tim jones is the real loser - defeated on his track record. Try as you may he does not represent this community nor does he even care to. It's about a free ride for him and his "friends".
The parlamentry election system in this country has always had issues when you think voting for the local MP vs. voting for the government.
The reality is, the local MP that is elected has very little power - unless he or she is in cabinet. They have even less power if they end up not being in the government side of the house.
To that end, you can vote for Tim Jones (who has never met a camera that he didn't like) and have him take calls from Newmarlet-Aurora locals to get a passport expedited, or vote for Lois and at least have someone in Ottawa that has the ear of the government.
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