In just under three and a half years I have written or touched on the topic of abortion 21 times. In fact the most often read post on this blog is “Abortion in Canada Legal – Right Up Until Time of Birth“. Well, here goes number 22. Canada is about to
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Canadian Soapbox: A nickle for your thoughts? No more pennies allowed
Finally!!! No more useless pennies. No doubt there will be much hand wringing and finger pointing about today’s federal budget. There always is, especially during times of constraint. Everyone’s laundry list of things to cut is different, while some don’t care whether the budget is balanced at all. For the
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: What the federal budget will say, and what it really means…cue Carlin
When Thursday rolls around Canadians will be finding out exactly what kind of government a minority of some 40% chose. We’re being told that the budget will focus on certain or themes. Of course they’ll positioned with nice flowery language, employing plenty of double speak, something politicians do very well. In
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Mulclair is a winner, cue the attack ads
He won the battle, Thomas Mulcair is the new leader of the NDP. Now he needs to win the war of bringing his party together. I have no doubt that Conservative strategists are already burning the midnight oil, trying to come up with a plan of attack that will ensure the roughly
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Need to raise taxes or cut services? Hit boomers…
I was born in 1966, and by some warped definition I am somehow included in the post-war baby boom. The baby boom is said to be the result of servicemen coming home after WWII and making up for lost time with their wives in an era that pre-dated birth control. My father however
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Higher temps, higher gas prices…$1.40+ in Québec City
Ahhh what a nice warm spring, and it finally caught up to the micro-climate that is Québec city, or as the signs here proclaim it…the capital of “la nation”. Oh there’s still snow here, lots of it. But with the mercury rising to somewhere around 17 degrees Celsius today, it won’t
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Enough with the attack ads already, we get it….
Okay, okay…Canadians from coast to coast to coast should finally understand by now. There is one, and only one person who is fit to serve as this nation’s Prime Minister. That person is Stephen Harper, message received. Stephane Dion wasn’t worth the risk, Michael Ignatieff was only in it for
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Dépanneur owner whose store was vandalized should learn to speak French
The owner of a Verdun depanneur had his store vanadalized after a series of events resulting from his inability or unwillingness to speak French. CTV is reporting (HERE) that Anthony Williams, owner of a convenience store east of Montreal, has seen a drop in his business after a confrontation with a
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Kony 2012 – Grassroots campaign or manufactured outrage?
Disclosure, I haven’t watched the Kony 2012 video. I think I’m one of about 12 people in Canada who haven’t. I did catch some of it on network news however, and like any person with a heart and a pulse, I was sickened. It is unbelievable to me the atrocities that continue to
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Do Republicans want a religious extremist as their nominee?
The U.S. has troops in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, and numerous other countries, and there’s some definite sabre rattling happening right now in the direction of Iran from some quarters. Often times western powers are battling with religious extremists, Islamic fundamentalist with an extreme interpretation of the Muslim holy book, the
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Think Ron Paul is nuts? Good, the MSM is doing its job…check out John Stewart
Ron Paul could easily drop out of the GOP race and coporate media would be very happy. They’ve built up candidates like Rick Santorum, while working very hard at avoiding the Texas doctor and service vertran. Don’t believe me? Check out John Stewart. Pretty telling when Comedy Central provides more
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Americans can win back world respect by electing Ron Paul
I spent a bit of time growing up in the United States. I attended kindergarten and grades one to three and a bit of four in NJ and all of grade six near Portland Oregon. It is probably for that reason that I have enormous respect for our southern neighbours. With that
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Tories to social conservatives…thanks for the votes, now bugger off!!!
Members of Canada’s socially conservative religious right fraternity must be looking on Harper government like the insurance salesman who attends church to drum up business. I mean sure he’s on the membership role and tosses his cheque in the plate every week. But is he a true believer or just there to network? From where I sit
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Are Canada’s conservatives a house divided?
Here’s a question dear reader. Are you conservative or liberal? It might seem a straight forward question, but I imagine responses would vary widely based on the context of the question. Are we talking about political parties, money, human rights…all three? In terms of party politics, the Conservatives are hot.
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Brad Trost says Harper is not Pro-Life and chastises the PMO
I just finished reading a Macleans interview with Conservative backbench MP Brad Trost. For those, like me, who’ve seen his name in the press about the issue of abortion, and formed the opinion that he is a one string banjo plucking the Pro-Life chord over and over…I strongly suggest giving it a read. I
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Taxpayers on the hook for almost $600 Billion in mortgage debt
Do you know anyone who has recently bought a house with less than 20% down? I know a few myself, young twenty somethings with decent but not great income, who’ve decided to take the dive. And why not? Qualifying for a mortgage is easy, and if you’re not good enough
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: CREA projects average house prices to dip
The Canadian Real Estate Association is predicting that the national average for house prices will drop in 2012, but not by much. I wouldn’t put too much stock in such forecasts though, before the U.S. housing market cratered so called experts were out to lunch on their predictions south of
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Robocall scam provided employment…in Canada!!!
Canadians upset over the RoboCall scandal need to look at this another way. With our sputtering economy and record high levels of debt, a strategy like this provides jobs. Sure, call centre jobs aren’t the highest paying or most secure….but at least the CPC didn’t hire a company that make calls out of
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Canadians don’t care about the ‘Robocall’ scam….
When is a scandal not a scandal? When nobody gives a rip. Sorry for the trailer park answer to that question, but I’m thinking some conservatives might read this…and well, I like to pander. If I tossed in a word like dichotomy their eyes would glaze over and their heads would tilt
Continue readingCanadian Soapbox: Is the U.S. conservative movement on drugs?
I realize very well that the conservative movement in the U.S. has gone and basically co-opted the fundamentalist, born again, bible thumping, man walked with dinosaurs Christian crowd. Fair enough, they’re a great constituency to have. They’re used to doing as they’re told, and they don’t worry about obvious contradictions or warped logic.
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