This is an urgent request regarding the decision by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to prorogue parliament today. If indeed he approaches you with this request, myself and many others believe that it it is in the best interest of the country that you refuse.
The decision to prorogue parliament at this time will not only stop important legislation, on both the government and opposition side, but shut down important committee work on issues such as Afghan detainees, infrastructure, and government finances.
Beyond simple partisan reasons (protecting the government from unwanted exposure in committee and in the House prior to the Olympics, moving to give the Government majorities on Senate committees), Parliament does not need to be prorogued.
The three months lost between now and March will not only halt all legislation in the House but will also shut-down public debate, an anti-democratic move, one that you should refuse.
Sincerely,
William Hogg
Concerned citizen
mercredi 30 décembre 2009
jeudi 10 décembre 2009
Postal service in Canada's regions
I was happy to be in back in Ottawa yesterday for many reasons - meetings with the Quebec Caucus, National Caucus, OLO, QP, then Caucus Christmas Party.
But the best part of the day was when I learned that Michael released our plan to introduce a Rural Canadian Postal Service Charter to protect and restore rural home postal service, assure universality of postal service across the country, and assure that Canada Post expands its consultation with its clientele before making any changes to services in the future.
Rural communities and their businesses rely on effective postal service. It is a key part of our rural identity across the country.
I personally cringe every time I drive by one of those ugly new big brown mass mail box installations, and remember the struggle my parents undertook to try to overturn a decision to end service to their mail box (a box that I actually got for them years ago...)
Rural post offices are also a major part of small communities, acting as social, economic and political focal points. One of my tactics during the last campaign in the more isolated communities was to hit every post office, talk to the clerk. Who doesn't know the post-master in those communities???
Decisions over the past three years have put at risk this important symbol of Canada in our regional communities, and it has to stop.
Bravo to Michael and the caucus for taking the lead on this issue!
But the best part of the day was when I learned that Michael released our plan to introduce a Rural Canadian Postal Service Charter to protect and restore rural home postal service, assure universality of postal service across the country, and assure that Canada Post expands its consultation with its clientele before making any changes to services in the future.
Rural communities and their businesses rely on effective postal service. It is a key part of our rural identity across the country.
I personally cringe every time I drive by one of those ugly new big brown mass mail box installations, and remember the struggle my parents undertook to try to overturn a decision to end service to their mail box (a box that I actually got for them years ago...)
Rural post offices are also a major part of small communities, acting as social, economic and political focal points. One of my tactics during the last campaign in the more isolated communities was to hit every post office, talk to the clerk. Who doesn't know the post-master in those communities???
Decisions over the past three years have put at risk this important symbol of Canada in our regional communities, and it has to stop.
Bravo to Michael and the caucus for taking the lead on this issue!
vendredi 4 décembre 2009
Coyne goes patriotic for Harper
Listening to the CBC At Issue panel last night, I was dismayed how quickly Coyne (and, shamefully, Hebert) fell in line with recent Ref-Con move towards unabashed patriotism as a political tool.
They scathingly criticized the leaders of the opposition parties for not supporting Harper vs. China. Seems that to them, when the PM goes overseas, politics is supposed to stop at the water's edge.
What?
You mean Harper is not supposed to play politics while abroad?
Like he did at the G8 meetings in Italy?
Like he did when he went "patriotic" in the Caribbean?
Like he did when he released his stimulus update "over Siberia."
Should I go on?
After his "trash" piece earlier this week, I thought Coyne had started to see through the fog of Harper's so-called patriotism.
Guess not...
They scathingly criticized the leaders of the opposition parties for not supporting Harper vs. China. Seems that to them, when the PM goes overseas, politics is supposed to stop at the water's edge.
What?
You mean Harper is not supposed to play politics while abroad?
Like he did at the G8 meetings in Italy?
Like he did when he went "patriotic" in the Caribbean?
Like he did when he released his stimulus update "over Siberia."
Should I go on?
After his "trash" piece earlier this week, I thought Coyne had started to see through the fog of Harper's so-called patriotism.
Guess not...
dimanche 15 novembre 2009
Chucking the vaccine...
The Globe piece here confirms an email I got from a friend last week:
"My niece tells me that the vaccine is only good for one hour at room temperature. When she turned up for her appointment at the Childrens' the pharmacist was busy filling 100 syringes and cautioning the nurses that they had only one hour to inject 100 arms.When they couldn't find that many who were eligible (staff) they tried to give it away before the expiry time. Makes me wonder how much of this stuff is being wasted."
Doesn't jive with the 24 hours the Globe arcticle cites. Does anyone have clear numbers on the shelf life of the vaccine?
On another H1N1 note, my partner's son seems to have come down with the flu and is holed up in his room. He was supposed to get his shot this Thursday - too late for him it seems.
Maybe I'll be live-blogging my own personal version by the end of the week...
"My niece tells me that the vaccine is only good for one hour at room temperature. When she turned up for her appointment at the Childrens' the pharmacist was busy filling 100 syringes and cautioning the nurses that they had only one hour to inject 100 arms.When they couldn't find that many who were eligible (staff) they tried to give it away before the expiry time. Makes me wonder how much of this stuff is being wasted."
Doesn't jive with the 24 hours the Globe arcticle cites. Does anyone have clear numbers on the shelf life of the vaccine?
On another H1N1 note, my partner's son seems to have come down with the flu and is holed up in his room. He was supposed to get his shot this Thursday - too late for him it seems.
Maybe I'll be live-blogging my own personal version by the end of the week...
samedi 14 novembre 2009
Quality journalism on a Saturday morning...
vendredi 30 octobre 2009
For those who have not seen it
Aaron Wherry linked up to a new map of federal stimulus monies...analyse away!
mardi 20 octobre 2009
Unfortunately, it is not news
The Ottawa Citizen/Chronicle Herald piece on stimulus pork in Quebec this morning does a good job highlights something that I wrote about almost five months ago:
"Nous ne comptons plus pour Harper"
La Tribune
11 juin 2009: le premier ministre Harper a présenté sa mise à jour économique, une mesure imposée par les libéraux en janvier passé et qui avait pour but d'assurer la transparence des actions gouvernementales en cette période difficile.
Nous pouvons critiquer vivement cette annonce. Sur plusieurs plans.M. Harper, l'automne passé, a vigoureusement rejeté la possibilité que le Canada soit en déficit sous son règne. Dans cette mise à jour, nous avons appris qu'effectivement nous étions en déficit pour un total de 4 milliards de dollars pour l'année fiscale 2008. Ajoutons maintenant les 52 milliards de déficit prévus pour 2009...
Cette annonce donnait aussi un compte-rendu des investissements mis en place depuis janvier 2009 pour stimuler l'économie dans la situation de crise actuelle.
C'est un échec total.
Dans ce rapport, beaucoup des projets sont décrits comme "nouveaux", alors qu'ils sont en fait de vieux projets, annoncés avant l'automne passé. Par exemple, à Terre-Neuve, presque 50% des projets énumérés avaient déjà été annoncés avant 2009.
Et les nouveaux projets? Plusieurs mois après l'annonce des fonds, beaucoup sont loin d'être mis en chantier, retardant ainsi les emplois qui sont attendus. Nous n'avons qu'à regarder www.enprobation.ca pour voir de nombreux exemples partout au pays.
Mais le pire dans tout ce cirque, c'est la petite carte que nous pouvons consulter pour voir l'ampleur des investissements dans chaque région du pays (www.actionplan.ca).
Merveilleuse petite carte, qui nous permet tout de suite de constater que le Québec souffre énormément dans le cadre de ce "plan d'action".
On peut compter des dizaines et des dizaines de "chantiers" dans les provinces atlantiques et en Ontario.
Au Québec, c'est le vide. Un vide assez frappant. Les petits signes bleus indiquant des chantiers sont beaucoup, beaucoup moins nombreux.
Et dans les Cantons-de-l'Est, c'est pire. Seulement quatre chantiers apparaissent: un à Bromont, deux à Sherbrooke, et un à Warwick. À peu près 19 millions de dollars sur plus de 13 milliards de fonds de stimulation. Ce qui équivaut à ,0015% de cet argent.
Pathétique. Harper a délaissé le Québec. Nous ne comptons plus.
Nous valons beaucoup plus que ça.
William Hogg
Ancien candidat du PLC dans Compton-Stanstead
(written before my nomination meeting in July)
So either the media is way behind the curve, or we haven't been going after the Con Pork quickly enough.
Quebec has not gotten its fair share of the funding, and it remains the case up to today
I am hesitant though about going after the investments in Quebec and how they are distributed.
First, all successful infrastructure projects are determined by BOTH the Feds and the Provincial government in Quebec. The joint decision-making process makes investments much more transparent and equitable, at least according to provincial deputies I have spoken to on the issue.
Even if the Quebec Liberals were to follow the cons lead and distribute funding to friendly ridings, one has to look at where the PLQ has seats (68 of them to be exact). Their geographical distribution is too spread out, and most do not coincide with Con ridings). I doubt that the Charest government would hamper economic development/infrastructure renewal in Montreal, South Shore, Laval, Outaouais, the Townships, or elsewhere to please Harper and his Quebec Pork Distributor, euh, Christian Paradis.
Secondly, and I have to admit, grudgingly so, Compton-Stanstead has gotten a good chunk of what funding there is in QC - $12 million for renovations at the experimental farm and $13 million plus for Bishop's University's athletic complex and new chemistry labs.
Now, while I am sure that these institutions are quite happy with the investments, I would still question their relevance for the relaunching of the economy in the region. The experimental farm will sustain (not create) jobs in the construction sector (and yes, the jobs are local, though I doubt from the riding) for a couple of months. But Bishop's will not put a shovel into the ground until late next spring/early summer. So I would not call this stimulus. There is still a great worry too about cut-off dates for funding and projected time to finish these projects...many will not coincide and some are worried that the feds will cut funding and leave the bill with the institutions/municipalities/provincial government.
And there are still dozens of projects that are listed as being accepted but have not gotten one red cent of funding thus far. I would say that municipal officals must be getting quite impatient with the efforts.
So, old news all around. But at least it is finally getting traction.
"Nous ne comptons plus pour Harper"
La Tribune
11 juin 2009: le premier ministre Harper a présenté sa mise à jour économique, une mesure imposée par les libéraux en janvier passé et qui avait pour but d'assurer la transparence des actions gouvernementales en cette période difficile.
Nous pouvons critiquer vivement cette annonce. Sur plusieurs plans.M. Harper, l'automne passé, a vigoureusement rejeté la possibilité que le Canada soit en déficit sous son règne. Dans cette mise à jour, nous avons appris qu'effectivement nous étions en déficit pour un total de 4 milliards de dollars pour l'année fiscale 2008. Ajoutons maintenant les 52 milliards de déficit prévus pour 2009...
Cette annonce donnait aussi un compte-rendu des investissements mis en place depuis janvier 2009 pour stimuler l'économie dans la situation de crise actuelle.
C'est un échec total.
Dans ce rapport, beaucoup des projets sont décrits comme "nouveaux", alors qu'ils sont en fait de vieux projets, annoncés avant l'automne passé. Par exemple, à Terre-Neuve, presque 50% des projets énumérés avaient déjà été annoncés avant 2009.
Et les nouveaux projets? Plusieurs mois après l'annonce des fonds, beaucoup sont loin d'être mis en chantier, retardant ainsi les emplois qui sont attendus. Nous n'avons qu'à regarder www.enprobation.ca pour voir de nombreux exemples partout au pays.
Mais le pire dans tout ce cirque, c'est la petite carte que nous pouvons consulter pour voir l'ampleur des investissements dans chaque région du pays (www.actionplan.ca).
Merveilleuse petite carte, qui nous permet tout de suite de constater que le Québec souffre énormément dans le cadre de ce "plan d'action".
On peut compter des dizaines et des dizaines de "chantiers" dans les provinces atlantiques et en Ontario.
Au Québec, c'est le vide. Un vide assez frappant. Les petits signes bleus indiquant des chantiers sont beaucoup, beaucoup moins nombreux.
Et dans les Cantons-de-l'Est, c'est pire. Seulement quatre chantiers apparaissent: un à Bromont, deux à Sherbrooke, et un à Warwick. À peu près 19 millions de dollars sur plus de 13 milliards de fonds de stimulation. Ce qui équivaut à ,0015% de cet argent.
Pathétique. Harper a délaissé le Québec. Nous ne comptons plus.
Nous valons beaucoup plus que ça.
William Hogg
Ancien candidat du PLC dans Compton-Stanstead
(written before my nomination meeting in July)
So either the media is way behind the curve, or we haven't been going after the Con Pork quickly enough.
Quebec has not gotten its fair share of the funding, and it remains the case up to today
I am hesitant though about going after the investments in Quebec and how they are distributed.
First, all successful infrastructure projects are determined by BOTH the Feds and the Provincial government in Quebec. The joint decision-making process makes investments much more transparent and equitable, at least according to provincial deputies I have spoken to on the issue.
Even if the Quebec Liberals were to follow the cons lead and distribute funding to friendly ridings, one has to look at where the PLQ has seats (68 of them to be exact). Their geographical distribution is too spread out, and most do not coincide with Con ridings). I doubt that the Charest government would hamper economic development/infrastructure renewal in Montreal, South Shore, Laval, Outaouais, the Townships, or elsewhere to please Harper and his Quebec Pork Distributor, euh, Christian Paradis.
Secondly, and I have to admit, grudgingly so, Compton-Stanstead has gotten a good chunk of what funding there is in QC - $12 million for renovations at the experimental farm and $13 million plus for Bishop's University's athletic complex and new chemistry labs.
Now, while I am sure that these institutions are quite happy with the investments, I would still question their relevance for the relaunching of the economy in the region. The experimental farm will sustain (not create) jobs in the construction sector (and yes, the jobs are local, though I doubt from the riding) for a couple of months. But Bishop's will not put a shovel into the ground until late next spring/early summer. So I would not call this stimulus. There is still a great worry too about cut-off dates for funding and projected time to finish these projects...many will not coincide and some are worried that the feds will cut funding and leave the bill with the institutions/municipalities/provincial government.
And there are still dozens of projects that are listed as being accepted but have not gotten one red cent of funding thus far. I would say that municipal officals must be getting quite impatient with the efforts.
So, old news all around. But at least it is finally getting traction.
mercredi 14 octobre 2009
I was slamming to Pearl Jam in 1993...the Cons were doing what they are doing today
John Ivison's piece suggests we pile it on a little more, just like it's 1993 again (hmmmm....Alive.....)
Here ya go (all from the same unknown REF-CON MP):
Seems May 21st 2009 was a busy day for this guy...
Here ya go (all from the same unknown REF-CON MP):
Seems May 21st 2009 was a busy day for this guy...
mardi 13 octobre 2009
Pork funding, presented by your Conservative (TM) Government
As noted by Warren on his blog, porking all the way:
Goota love the effort by Keddy to hide (?) the logo...
Goota love the effort by Keddy to hide (?) the logo...
jeudi 17 septembre 2009
Blank Cheques and Body Bags
Has anyone in Jack's office figured out that they have, indeed, given the Reformatories a blank cheque until the EI legislation (which is not good for unemployed workers, especially in Quebec) is passed. Let's say it takes a good 3-4 months (say February) until the "money is out the door." Let's say Harper decides to pass some rather Reform-y money bills (ie. confidence) between now and then. What does the NDP do? I don't put it past Harper to try and find out...
And this story is just wrong...hope they don't send body bags to the Eastern Townships too!
And this story is just wrong...hope they don't send body bags to the Eastern Townships too!
samedi 22 août 2009
Michael in the Townships/Michael dans les Cantons de L'Est
Had the honour of co-hosting the leader over the past two days. On Thurday we had a small wine and cheese in Magog for Brome-Missisquoi candidate Denis Paradis. Love the CP Photo (below) - kinda look like the crasher squirrel ;).
(Liberal Party federal election candidate for Compton/Stanstead William Hogg, right, listens as liberal leader Michael Ignatieff speaks to reporters following a supporters meeting in Magog, Que., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
On Friday I hosted two events in the riding - a candidate school with 8 MPs and 20 or so official Quebec candidates. It created quite a bit of election buzz in the media ;)... It was also fun that both Chantal Hebert and Jean Lapierre were in attendance during the two days of events. Let's see what she'll have to say next week...
I was also pleased to host Michael for a talk on his roots in the Eastern Townships. Before a crowd of 300 plus, he spoke on how his experience here, living amongst the French and English, Catholic and Protestant, side-by-side, inspired him to look beyond the notion of two solitudes and develop a vision of Canada that goes beyond artificial, and most of the time partisan political divisions and barriers. An excellent speech, as it was without notes, from the heart.
After the speech we had a meet a greet with Michael while I hit the local media.
Then followed that with a scrum with Michael and Denis Coderre.
Not one wasted moment. Take that Jeffrey Simpson.
(Liberal Party federal election candidate for Compton/Stanstead William Hogg, right, listens as liberal leader Michael Ignatieff speaks to reporters following a supporters meeting in Magog, Que., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)On Friday I hosted two events in the riding - a candidate school with 8 MPs and 20 or so official Quebec candidates. It created quite a bit of election buzz in the media ;)... It was also fun that both Chantal Hebert and Jean Lapierre were in attendance during the two days of events. Let's see what she'll have to say next week...
I was also pleased to host Michael for a talk on his roots in the Eastern Townships. Before a crowd of 300 plus, he spoke on how his experience here, living amongst the French and English, Catholic and Protestant, side-by-side, inspired him to look beyond the notion of two solitudes and develop a vision of Canada that goes beyond artificial, and most of the time partisan political divisions and barriers. An excellent speech, as it was without notes, from the heart.
After the speech we had a meet a greet with Michael while I hit the local media.
Then followed that with a scrum with Michael and Denis Coderre.
Not one wasted moment. Take that Jeffrey Simpson.
vendredi 10 juillet 2009
Despicable part deux
Or rather incompetent. We have to get these guys out of government...embarassing...
On that note, you are all invited to my nomination meeting in Compton-Stanstead! July 22nd, from 7pm to 8pm, in Coaticook, QC. Restaurant le Coffret de l'imagination, 145 rue Michaud.
Bienvenue à tous!
On that note, you are all invited to my nomination meeting in Compton-Stanstead! July 22nd, from 7pm to 8pm, in Coaticook, QC. Restaurant le Coffret de l'imagination, 145 rue Michaud.
Bienvenue à tous!
mercredi 8 juillet 2009
A few questions for y'all
Q1 What is the record for the number of Con 10%ers you have recieved in a month?
Q2 How many of the Con MPs that "sent" you your 10%er have you ever heard of?
Q3 What is the cost of a 10% mailing to each riding (printing, postage and handling?)
Q2 How many of the Con MPs that "sent" you your 10%er have you ever heard of?
Q3 What is the cost of a 10% mailing to each riding (printing, postage and handling?)
vendredi 3 juillet 2009
Despicable
I recieved one of these a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't have been more floored by the content. Yes, it does attack the Bloc and says nothing about the Libs, as one friend put it. But it is pure scare tactics - the worst of Conservative politics at its best. Simply awful and will do nothing to improve the image Quebecers have vis-à-vis Canadian politics.
samedi 20 juin 2009
Elections
Si j'etais un peu pas mal pro-élections les dernières jours, voici pourquoi:
PLC 35
BQ 31
NPD 17
CONS 13
PLC 35
BQ 31
NPD 17
CONS 13
vendredi 19 juin 2009
Following the National last night
Under appreciated politician:
Jean Charest - no premier in QC has won a 3rd mandate in I don't know how long, and he did it. He has his ups and downs, but in general has done a fine job. The question on everyone's mind - will he stay or will he go?
Over appreciated politician:
Stephen Harper - We have lived in fear of Harper for 3 years now - "master tactician", "hyper-genius", "man of strategy." I think it is all a sham, though we have yet to fully expose the emperor with no clothes.
Over exploited news story:
Dhalla? Raitt? Too much personal, not enough professional - Cons and Libs deserve what they get from over-focusing on both.
Under exploited news story
Maple 1 and 2 work.
Best political play:
Ignatieff coming to power. Has done wonders for the Quebec wing of the party. We have membership numbers not seen since the early 2000s. We have polling numbers not seen since the early 2000s. We have fundraising numbers not seen since the early 2000s. Feels like the start of the new millennium all over...
Worst political play: started with that stupid truck driving around Quebec during the fall election denouncing the Bloc as a $350 million waste of money. Harper's spite for the Bloc just denigrated during the coalition crisis. His disdain for those who vote Bloc is just wrong, and has cost him any future in this province.
Election?: Called September 29-30 with E-Day Nov. 9 or 16. Preferably 9, as everyone will already be voting municipally here in Quebec - why not kill two birds with one stone?
Jean Charest - no premier in QC has won a 3rd mandate in I don't know how long, and he did it. He has his ups and downs, but in general has done a fine job. The question on everyone's mind - will he stay or will he go?
Over appreciated politician:
Stephen Harper - We have lived in fear of Harper for 3 years now - "master tactician", "hyper-genius", "man of strategy." I think it is all a sham, though we have yet to fully expose the emperor with no clothes.
Over exploited news story:
Dhalla? Raitt? Too much personal, not enough professional - Cons and Libs deserve what they get from over-focusing on both.
Under exploited news story
Maple 1 and 2 work.
Best political play:
Ignatieff coming to power. Has done wonders for the Quebec wing of the party. We have membership numbers not seen since the early 2000s. We have polling numbers not seen since the early 2000s. We have fundraising numbers not seen since the early 2000s. Feels like the start of the new millennium all over...
Worst political play: started with that stupid truck driving around Quebec during the fall election denouncing the Bloc as a $350 million waste of money. Harper's spite for the Bloc just denigrated during the coalition crisis. His disdain for those who vote Bloc is just wrong, and has cost him any future in this province.
Election?: Called September 29-30 with E-Day Nov. 9 or 16. Preferably 9, as everyone will already be voting municipally here in Quebec - why not kill two birds with one stone?
mardi 16 juin 2009
Interesting times
The strategy was perfect. As several journalists have pointed out, this is a win-win situation for Liberals.
Win-Win Territory for Ignatieff Liberals
Carry the nasty
and my favorite, being a closet fan of Mackenzie King
Election if necessary, but not necessarily an election
Would love to be a fly on the wall at the Michael-Steve sit-down today...
Win-Win Territory for Ignatieff Liberals
Carry the nasty
and my favorite, being a closet fan of Mackenzie King
Election if necessary, but not necessarily an election
Would love to be a fly on the wall at the Michael-Steve sit-down today...
mardi 9 juin 2009
Notre approche...
Le mouvement séparatiste est en chute libre. D'après un sondage de La Presse-Angus Reid, 74% des québécois ne pensent pas qu'un jour le Québec se sépara du reste du Canada.
Nous avons aussi une population très divisée sur la question du partage des pouvoirs entre Ottawa et Québec - 32% croient que le statut-quo est acceptable, 30% veulent plus d'autonomie, et 28% croient en un Québec souverain, et donc n'accepteront aucun "juste milieu" sur la question.
Pour nous, libéraux fédéraux, il faut être flexible dans notre message. Comme nous ne pouvons pas avoir d'influence sur 28% de la population - les indépendantistes qui nous écouterons pas anyway - nous devons cibler le reste de la population.
Ignatieff a déja livré un message pour le 32% pro statut-quo.
C'est aux 30% "mous" qu'il faut parler maintenant. La question clef - comment?
Dans son discours à Montréal la semaine passée, Michael a déjà ouvert le dialogue avec eux:
Depuis trop longtemps les québécois sont sans voix forte au sein du gouvernement à Ottawa. Cette absence, sous forme de protestation avec le Bloc, a nuit au Québec dans la formulation des politiques fédérales. C'est en élisant des députés libéraux, c'est à dire des députés qui formeront le prochain gouvernement, que le Québec se donnera le plus de pouvoirs.
Michael continue:
D'après les derniers sondages, le Parti libéral du Canada a de fortes chances de former le prochain gouvernement. Un vote québécois pour le PLC, un PLC avec un gouvernement basé essentiellement dans l'est du pays, nous assure d'un caucus du Québec très fort et influent.
Si c'est le cas, un gouvernement libéral n'aurait d'autre choix que d'être à l'écoute des québécois, de ce 30%. Le message est pour eux; soyez à la table décisionnelle et les politiques sortantes seront construites en conséquence.
Just my 2 cents...as I enjoy the Conservative writhing in Ottawa ;)
Nous avons aussi une population très divisée sur la question du partage des pouvoirs entre Ottawa et Québec - 32% croient que le statut-quo est acceptable, 30% veulent plus d'autonomie, et 28% croient en un Québec souverain, et donc n'accepteront aucun "juste milieu" sur la question.
Pour nous, libéraux fédéraux, il faut être flexible dans notre message. Comme nous ne pouvons pas avoir d'influence sur 28% de la population - les indépendantistes qui nous écouterons pas anyway - nous devons cibler le reste de la population.
Ignatieff a déja livré un message pour le 32% pro statut-quo.
C'est aux 30% "mous" qu'il faut parler maintenant. La question clef - comment?
Dans son discours à Montréal la semaine passée, Michael a déjà ouvert le dialogue avec eux:
Je suis en train de rebâtir notre parti.
Et j'ai besoin des Québécois pour le faire.
D'abord, je rebâtis notre parti avec les Québécois.
Ensuite, je rebâtis notre pays avec les Québécois.
Parce que ce pays, c'est aussi celui des Québécois.
Les Québécois ont construit le Canada.
Ce pays porte votre marque.
Vous êtes les cofondateurs du Canada.
Les Québécois ont aidé à construire le Canada. Et aujourd'hui, nous devons nous préparer à le reconstruire.
Depuis trop longtemps les québécois sont sans voix forte au sein du gouvernement à Ottawa. Cette absence, sous forme de protestation avec le Bloc, a nuit au Québec dans la formulation des politiques fédérales. C'est en élisant des députés libéraux, c'est à dire des députés qui formeront le prochain gouvernement, que le Québec se donnera le plus de pouvoirs.
Michael continue:
Aux dernières élections, les Québécois ont protesté contre le gouvernement de droite de Stephen Harper et beaucoup de Québécois ont voté pour le Bloc Québécois.
Les Québécois ont protesté, mais Stephen Harper est encore là.
Protester est un choix.
Protester est un droit.
Mais protester n'est pas une solution.
Le Bloc Québécois n'est pas une solution pour un Québec et un Canada meilleurs.
Le Bloc Québécois n'est pas une solution pour se débarrasser de Stephen Harper.
Le Bloc Québécois n'est pas une solution pour un Canada qui sera véritablement la maison du Québec.
Il y a un autre choix.
Vous pouvez choisir entre protestation et construction, entre protestation et amélioration, entre protestation et implication.
Je vous invite à construire avec moi ce Canada meilleur.
D'après les derniers sondages, le Parti libéral du Canada a de fortes chances de former le prochain gouvernement. Un vote québécois pour le PLC, un PLC avec un gouvernement basé essentiellement dans l'est du pays, nous assure d'un caucus du Québec très fort et influent.
Si c'est le cas, un gouvernement libéral n'aurait d'autre choix que d'être à l'écoute des québécois, de ce 30%. Le message est pour eux; soyez à la table décisionnelle et les politiques sortantes seront construites en conséquence.
Just my 2 cents...as I enjoy the Conservative writhing in Ottawa ;)
mercredi 3 juin 2009
This and that...
Incompetence Part deux...and shows how Raitt and the Cons are playing politics with the health of Canadians.
No plan for Chalk River, no plan to solve the major health crisis facing Canadians.
***
L. Ian Macdonald continually comes to the defense of the Harperites. They are sounding more and more desperate, as I bet there is an internal bleeding of true Cons from their Party. Didn't a former Conservative PM say something along the lines of:
"You had an option, sir. You could have said, 'I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, and I am not going to ask Canadians to pay the price.' You had an option, sir — to say 'no' — and you chose to say 'yes' to the old attitudes and the old stories of the Liberal Party. That sir, if I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians.
In a related event, yesterday in line at a local restaurant in Lennoxville, I was listen to three older fellows chatting.
"You hear how they are spending our money these days in Ottawa?"
"How?"
"40 (sic) billion dollars bailing out GM and their pensions. Where were they for other pensions? Maybe now that we are owners of GM, we'll get discounts!"
"Bastards..."
***
I will be at this event tomorrow. Update Friday...
***
The CBC-Ekos poll is simply amazing for its size and depth of surveying. A couple of interesting results in Quebec:
1. Liberals are tied with the Bloc in female voting intentions in Quebec.
2. Seniors are the largest bloc of supporters for the Liberals, and we outpace the Bloc in this category by more than 2:1.
3. We have a lot of work to do with youth...we need a dream, a vision...and we need to make it interesting, and relevant...
No plan for Chalk River, no plan to solve the major health crisis facing Canadians.
***
L. Ian Macdonald continually comes to the defense of the Harperites. They are sounding more and more desperate, as I bet there is an internal bleeding of true Cons from their Party. Didn't a former Conservative PM say something along the lines of:
"You had an option, sir. You could have said, 'I am not going to do it. This is wrong for Canada, and I am not going to ask Canadians to pay the price.' You had an option, sir — to say 'no' — and you chose to say 'yes' to the old attitudes and the old stories of the Liberal Party. That sir, if I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians.
In a related event, yesterday in line at a local restaurant in Lennoxville, I was listen to three older fellows chatting.
"You hear how they are spending our money these days in Ottawa?"
"How?"
"40 (sic) billion dollars bailing out GM and their pensions. Where were they for other pensions? Maybe now that we are owners of GM, we'll get discounts!"
"Bastards..."
***
I will be at this event tomorrow. Update Friday...
***
The CBC-Ekos poll is simply amazing for its size and depth of surveying. A couple of interesting results in Quebec:
1. Liberals are tied with the Bloc in female voting intentions in Quebec.
2. Seniors are the largest bloc of supporters for the Liberals, and we outpace the Bloc in this category by more than 2:1.
3. We have a lot of work to do with youth...we need a dream, a vision...and we need to make it interesting, and relevant...
jeudi 28 mai 2009
Une lettre ouverte
publié dans La Tribune ce matin. Ils ne l'ont pas mis en ligne encore, à voir.
****
À Christian Paradis, Lieutenant de Stephen Harper au Québec
Conservateurs aux Québec, vous le sentez. Les chiffres ne sont pas bons – 3e place dans la province où vous pensiez pouvoir gagner votre majorité.
Votre chef est vu comme quelqu’un de malintentionné, déconnecté de la réalité du Québec et de la nation québécoise.
Vous sentez le désintérêt des nationalistes fédéralistes – en même temps fiers québécois et canadiens - pour vous et vos politiques. Le vent est froid à Québec, n’est pas?
Vos seuls alliés sont les ADQuistes. Vous avez fièrement montré l’ancien chef de l’ADQ lors de votre activité de financement à Montréal le 20 mai, comme s’il pouvait être encore votre sauveteur, même si les québécois l’ont déjà rejeté en décembre 2008.
Ça sent le désespoir.
Vous lancez des annonces attaques contre le chef du PLC, Michael Ignatieff, parce qu’il a travaillé à l’extérieur du pays, comme des milliers de québécois et québécoises font chaque année. Au contraire, M. Paradis, ces gens sont fiers d’être québécois, canadiens, fiers d’être d’ici, mais aussi fiers d’aller dans le monde, vers le monde. Et nous sommes fiers d’eux.
Vous vous vantez d’être les seuls qui croient à la nation québécoise, une réalité en laquelle votre chef lui-même ne croyait pas le 24 juin 2006. Rappelez-vous, c’est Michael Ignatieff, lors de la course à la chefferie en 2006, qui a été le premier à lancer cette idée et à vouloir promouvoir cette reconnaissance. Et ce sont les libéraux du Québec, comme moi, qui ont défendu cette reconnaissance partout au Québec et dans le reste du Canada.
Vous accusez Michael Ignatieff d’être centralisateur. Si un chef, avec une vision, égale centralisateur, d’accord. Oui, je l’avoue, Michael Ignatieff a une vision pour notre pays, une grande vision, celle d’unifier les canadiens et québécois, de l’est à l’ouest. C’est un grand rêve, mais ce pays est grand. Et oui, pour réaliser cette vision, ça va prendre de l’ouverture, de la collaboration entre les provinces et le fédéral. Il faudra travailler tous ensemble pour la réaliser.
Mais le rôle d’un grand parti fédéral, c’est de penser, de rêver à nos possibilités comme pays. Les vrais premiers ministres, ils ont une vision. C’est dommage que ce ne soit pas le cas aujourd’hui.
William Hogg
Candidat du PLC dans Compton-Stanstead, 2008
****
À Christian Paradis, Lieutenant de Stephen Harper au Québec
Conservateurs aux Québec, vous le sentez. Les chiffres ne sont pas bons – 3e place dans la province où vous pensiez pouvoir gagner votre majorité.
Votre chef est vu comme quelqu’un de malintentionné, déconnecté de la réalité du Québec et de la nation québécoise.
Vous sentez le désintérêt des nationalistes fédéralistes – en même temps fiers québécois et canadiens - pour vous et vos politiques. Le vent est froid à Québec, n’est pas?
Vos seuls alliés sont les ADQuistes. Vous avez fièrement montré l’ancien chef de l’ADQ lors de votre activité de financement à Montréal le 20 mai, comme s’il pouvait être encore votre sauveteur, même si les québécois l’ont déjà rejeté en décembre 2008.
Ça sent le désespoir.
Vous lancez des annonces attaques contre le chef du PLC, Michael Ignatieff, parce qu’il a travaillé à l’extérieur du pays, comme des milliers de québécois et québécoises font chaque année. Au contraire, M. Paradis, ces gens sont fiers d’être québécois, canadiens, fiers d’être d’ici, mais aussi fiers d’aller dans le monde, vers le monde. Et nous sommes fiers d’eux.
Vous vous vantez d’être les seuls qui croient à la nation québécoise, une réalité en laquelle votre chef lui-même ne croyait pas le 24 juin 2006. Rappelez-vous, c’est Michael Ignatieff, lors de la course à la chefferie en 2006, qui a été le premier à lancer cette idée et à vouloir promouvoir cette reconnaissance. Et ce sont les libéraux du Québec, comme moi, qui ont défendu cette reconnaissance partout au Québec et dans le reste du Canada.
Vous accusez Michael Ignatieff d’être centralisateur. Si un chef, avec une vision, égale centralisateur, d’accord. Oui, je l’avoue, Michael Ignatieff a une vision pour notre pays, une grande vision, celle d’unifier les canadiens et québécois, de l’est à l’ouest. C’est un grand rêve, mais ce pays est grand. Et oui, pour réaliser cette vision, ça va prendre de l’ouverture, de la collaboration entre les provinces et le fédéral. Il faudra travailler tous ensemble pour la réaliser.
Mais le rôle d’un grand parti fédéral, c’est de penser, de rêver à nos possibilités comme pays. Les vrais premiers ministres, ils ont une vision. C’est dommage que ce ne soit pas le cas aujourd’hui.
William Hogg
Candidat du PLC dans Compton-Stanstead, 2008
mercredi 27 mai 2009
Slew of Quebec Polls
1. CROP-La Presse this morning.
BQ 36
Lib 32
Cons 15
NDP 12
Slight reversal of the end of April edition when we had 37-31 lead over the BQ. The other two federal parties are stagnant. The interesting part of this poll was the QC region - 33 Lib, 10 points up on the Cons and several on the BQ. As pointed out in the article - never happened since 2004, when we were in the heady 50% of support in the province.
2. Monday's Ipsos-Reid, where we pulled in a tie in QC with the Bloc 36-36. The analysis turns quite funny, where the Cons are compared to the REEEEEEEFormers of the 1990s...
3. A final poll, which deals with the impact of Con ads in QC, shows how voting intentions between parties is changing - where 35 of dejected former conservatives are coming into the Liberal house, as are 25% of NDPers and 10% of BQ supporters. The numbers are specific enough that you can actually go riding by riding and make some interesting calculations...
BQ 36
Lib 32
Cons 15
NDP 12
Slight reversal of the end of April edition when we had 37-31 lead over the BQ. The other two federal parties are stagnant. The interesting part of this poll was the QC region - 33 Lib, 10 points up on the Cons and several on the BQ. As pointed out in the article - never happened since 2004, when we were in the heady 50% of support in the province.
2. Monday's Ipsos-Reid, where we pulled in a tie in QC with the Bloc 36-36. The analysis turns quite funny, where the Cons are compared to the REEEEEEEFormers of the 1990s...
3. A final poll, which deals with the impact of Con ads in QC, shows how voting intentions between parties is changing - where 35 of dejected former conservatives are coming into the Liberal house, as are 25% of NDPers and 10% of BQ supporters. The numbers are specific enough that you can actually go riding by riding and make some interesting calculations...
lundi 25 mai 2009
Une semaine qui commence bien....
Nouveau sondage Léger (1000+ répondants):
37 PLC
33 BQ
14 NPD
13 CONS
3 Verts
On attends d'autres aussi - CROP, Ekos. Nanos n'a pas fait une depuis le 9, donc peut-être lui aussi...
37 PLC
33 BQ
14 NPD
13 CONS
3 Verts
On attends d'autres aussi - CROP, Ekos. Nanos n'a pas fait une depuis le 9, donc peut-être lui aussi...
dimanche 24 mai 2009
jeudi 21 mai 2009
We are proud
of you, for going into the world, bringing Canada to the world, and hopefully bringing the world back to Canada when and if you come home
mercredi 20 mai 2009
jeudi 14 mai 2009
Interessant!
Dans La Tribune aujourd'hui, on aprends que Serge Cardin songe serieuxement à la mairie. Comme dit Larochelle dans son article, ça changerait enormement la donne au niveau municipale et féderale. Enormement...
Back
Après un automne plein de politique, j'ai eu ma claque. Ma propre campagne féderale (avec tout les déceptions et réusites), ensuite directeur de la campagne de Pierre Reid (grand victoire, 2e candidat du PLQ annoncé comme reélu), et finalement une "petite" mois de campagne pour Michael comme coordonateur dans les Cantons-de-l'Est, metonc que j'etais un peu brulé.
So I took the winter lightly. Got back into the swing of teaching, had to also get used to a new personal life, kids alpine ski racing, and so on. I took a break.
The PLC, during that time, and thanks to our new leader, changed enormously, especially here in Quebec. Nous sommes redevenu un option pour les québecois et québecoise. My last post pointed that out, and things have pretty much evolved as I expected. This is in part to Michael's openness and understanding of francophone Quebec, but also due to the negative politics and policies of Harper and co.
How things change in a few months. As I was finishing off my campaign last fall, watching the numbers coming in, it was not a great time to be a Liberal outside of QC. In Quebec, things were slightly different - we actually increased our vote, as Jean-Herman Guay has pointed out in Policy Options, by about 100,000 province-wide. In Compton-Stanstead, we were able to increase slightly the percentage from 2006, and increase significantly the francophone vote (as an aside, I lost quite a few English votes, especially to the NDP, in the last week of the campaign - me thinks English debate and CTV had quite a bit to do with that) From what I heard on the ground, this was due to several things - Stéphane's performance during the French debate; a realisation that sponsorship was finally dead; and reactions to Harper's cuts to culture.
Les québecois ont vu que le PLC a changé - pas assez pour voter en masse libéral, mais assez pour regarder qu'est qu'on a à offrir. Michael began, in December, with a relatively clean slate in Quebec, something that Stéphane did not. Don't get me wrong, Stéphane had many weaknesses, including his leadership style within Quebec, but he was not helped by the ongoing belief that the LPC was the party of scandal.
We have seen, since December, the results in the polls in QC. We went from 23.7% in October, to (looking at Nanos) 26 in December, 39 in January, 28 in February, 32 in March, to 36 in April.
Si on regarde CROP (le plus grand sondage fait uniquement au Québec avec 1000+ répondants), en janvier 31, 30 en février, en mars 30, et en avril, comme plusiers l'ont déja mentionné, le PLC a devancé le BQ 37-31, pour la 1er fois depuis 5 ans.
Now, why come back to blogging now? Because in their desperation, Harper and co. have launched their "attack ads." They are weak for the most part, but simply because they are there we have to prepare to answer them. Dion didn't, and it cost him dearly. Michael, I expect, will respond, and we have to fight to make sure that the reality of the situation remains what it is - Harper can't fight fair, is mismanaging the country, and has resorted to low politics to smear his opponent. So I say bring it on, Steve, and let the progressive blogosphere eat you up in the process.
So I took the winter lightly. Got back into the swing of teaching, had to also get used to a new personal life, kids alpine ski racing, and so on. I took a break.
The PLC, during that time, and thanks to our new leader, changed enormously, especially here in Quebec. Nous sommes redevenu un option pour les québecois et québecoise. My last post pointed that out, and things have pretty much evolved as I expected. This is in part to Michael's openness and understanding of francophone Quebec, but also due to the negative politics and policies of Harper and co.
How things change in a few months. As I was finishing off my campaign last fall, watching the numbers coming in, it was not a great time to be a Liberal outside of QC. In Quebec, things were slightly different - we actually increased our vote, as Jean-Herman Guay has pointed out in Policy Options, by about 100,000 province-wide. In Compton-Stanstead, we were able to increase slightly the percentage from 2006, and increase significantly the francophone vote (as an aside, I lost quite a few English votes, especially to the NDP, in the last week of the campaign - me thinks English debate and CTV had quite a bit to do with that) From what I heard on the ground, this was due to several things - Stéphane's performance during the French debate; a realisation that sponsorship was finally dead; and reactions to Harper's cuts to culture.
Les québecois ont vu que le PLC a changé - pas assez pour voter en masse libéral, mais assez pour regarder qu'est qu'on a à offrir. Michael began, in December, with a relatively clean slate in Quebec, something that Stéphane did not. Don't get me wrong, Stéphane had many weaknesses, including his leadership style within Quebec, but he was not helped by the ongoing belief that the LPC was the party of scandal.
We have seen, since December, the results in the polls in QC. We went from 23.7% in October, to (looking at Nanos) 26 in December, 39 in January, 28 in February, 32 in March, to 36 in April.
Si on regarde CROP (le plus grand sondage fait uniquement au Québec avec 1000+ répondants), en janvier 31, 30 en février, en mars 30, et en avril, comme plusiers l'ont déja mentionné, le PLC a devancé le BQ 37-31, pour la 1er fois depuis 5 ans.
Now, why come back to blogging now? Because in their desperation, Harper and co. have launched their "attack ads." They are weak for the most part, but simply because they are there we have to prepare to answer them. Dion didn't, and it cost him dearly. Michael, I expect, will respond, and we have to fight to make sure that the reality of the situation remains what it is - Harper can't fight fair, is mismanaging the country, and has resorted to low politics to smear his opponent. So I say bring it on, Steve, and let the progressive blogosphere eat you up in the process.
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