Thursday, March 16, 2006

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Night

C'est fini.

Thanks for all the great blogging material Paul,

18 Comments:

  • Yes, now that Paul is gone, we await the return of the great Liberal in Exile.

    Draft Kinsella

    By Blogger James Bowie, at 6:41 p.m.  

  • Paul evidently comes from the Ralph Klein school of retirement announcement:

    1. Retire Early
    2. Retire Often
    3. Don't Really Retire Until Too Late

    By Blogger Gauntlet, at 7:36 p.m.  

  • Ding Dong!

    The Witch is dead!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:53 p.m.  

  • He's gone. The Board is dismantled. The leadership race is underway. "Martinites" are helping organize a tribute to Sheila Copps. Can we really bury the hatchet? Lots of opportunity here now to talk about all of the things we disliked about him, but maybe it's also a chance to talk about all of the things he accomplished and in doing so help bring the party back together.

    - balanced budget
    - balanced budget 9 years running
    - surplus 5 years(?) running
    - only G8 country to actually be paying down the debt
    - made CPP solvent and put in on rock solid financial footing for 40 years

    That of course was just as Minister of Finance. As PM:

    - got 10 provinces to agree to a healthcare plan; not a fix for a generation, but not bad
    - got 10 provinces to agree to an early learning and child care (unfortunately, Harper will eliminate child care choice for Canadian parents soon)
    - increased military spending
    - balanced spending increases with tax cuts and debt repayment (Harper plans to increase personal taxes)
    - made equal marriage law (Harper wants to have the House vote on this again)

    And all of that in only 18 months and in a bitterly divided House.

    No point in lamenting what could have been. But we can remember what was in the hopes that it helps propel the unity necessary.

    Ted
    Cerberus

    By Blogger Ted Betts, at 10:08 p.m.  

  • Well, now Bill Graham will get his name included on the "Liberal Party leaders" template on Wikipedia.

    By Blogger IslandLiberal, at 10:11 p.m.  

  • what a loser,good-bye

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:15 p.m.  

  • Well, Graham is only interim leader - I don't think he gets included on the official Liberal leader list.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 11:35 p.m.  

  • anything but au revoir

    By Blogger except for one thing..., at 12:14 a.m.  

  • Ding Dong!
    The Witch is dead!

    what a loser,good-bye


    Hmmmm, I wonder why so many prominent Liberals have already bowed out of the leadership race?

    Anyway, are you going to leave it up to a Dipper to show you how it's done, Bart?

    By Blogger Robert McClelland, at 12:19 a.m.  

  • here's hoping that Harpo has half the legacy that Paul Martin has brought to the country (but hopefully half the time as PM, too!). How anyone can compare Martin's farewell to the long, long good buy from Kline is stranger than weird...
    Onto the leadership race. If they set an entry fee larger than the last one, they'll be cutting off their nose in spite of their face. It should be $65,000 and no more, but I'm hearing $100,000 is the lowest they'll let be discussed even.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:34 a.m.  

  • well, he was only 1/2 the problem in my mind. the freaks that made up his ridiculous board are equally to blame...and lets not forget where they are landing....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:03 a.m.  

  • Paul, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 11:28 a.m.  

  • Now we have another bad PM to deal with

    ----- Original Message -----
    To: pm@pm.gc.ca ; Harper, Stephen - M.P. ;
    Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 11:27 AM
    Subject: To the now sad and useless Conservative federal PM, Health, Cabinet Ministers
    To the now sad and useless Conservative federal PM, Health, Cabinet Ministers March 17, 2006,

    Why is that the federal government does not stand up even for the rights, good welfare of the citizens of Alberta still too? that even the other people have to do it? such as the Globe&Mail and me too. RSVP

    a: "Harper restricts ministers' message Officials urged to stick to five key priorities; PMO wants to vet all other public comment CAMPBELL CLARK From Friday's Globe and Mail OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has imposed central control over all information and comments to the public issued by government officials and even cabinet ministers, directing them to have everything cleared by the Prime Minister's Office, according to an internal e-mail and government sources. The orders, described in an e-mail to bureaucrats, indicate that ministers have been told to avoid talking about the direction of the government, and that the government wants them to be less accessible to the news media. And all government officials are instructed to avoid speaking about anything other than the five priorities outlined in the Conservative campaign. "Maintain a relentless focus on the five priorities from the campaign. Reduce the amount of ministerial/public events that distract from the five priority areas identified in the campaign," the e-mail states. "In order to keep a grip on such events [those that distract from priority areas], PMO will approve all ministerial events." The seven-point e-mail summarizes a briefing that the federal government's top bureaucrat, Clerk of the Privy Council Kevin Lynch, and his senior official in charge of government communications, assistant cabinet secretary Dale Eisler, gave to the top communications official in several government departments last week. The e-mail was made by a senior bureaucrat who attended the meeting. Government officials and Conservatives confirmed the instructions, including orders that the PMO clear all public communications — including minor comments and letters to local newspapers. "PMO will have final approval for all communications products — even Notes to Editors or Letters to the Editor," the e-mail states. Mr. Harper's PMO is not the first to want the final say on communications — but it has extended the practice to a level never seen in Ottawa."

    Globe& Mail- Do you know where your PM is? By KEN BECKER Friday, March 17, 2006, When I was a young reporter with United Press International in New York in the early 1970s, I was once assigned to cover the president of the United States. My job was to be outside a Manhattan hotel, watch the president and his entourage march past, run to a pay phone, call my news desk and report: "Nixon entered the hotel at 8:42 p.m." UPI then dispatched a bulletin with those words. I waited outside to complete my assignment: "Nixon left the hotel at 10:17 p.m." As is still the case, Americans -- or their news media, at least -- know exactly where their president is every moment of the day.

    "Comments Here is some food for thought, for discussion, besides the new PM
    we do now have a whole new clean image federal cabinet Ministers in Ottawa.
    Most of whom now were in the past big talkers even in the house of parliament, Ottawa
    and yes they were so willing to speak, wanted so much to be heard when they were the opposition party
    but now that they are in paid well, they are in power, they are now the silent ostriches, or silenced, they seem to have now nothing to say.
    exempted was Peter MacKay who seem to do it with his foot in mouth.
    and worse the Canservative federal cabinet members are now also doing nothing visibly good?
    and why is that?
    and is this now even acceptable?
    of course not!
    or where or when can we see their good works on our behalf?
    Posted by: I thought you were talking about shameless poiliticians | 15-Mar-06 4:31:52 AM"
    http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2006/03/shameless_selfp_1.html#comments

    b: Globe& Mail- Counting health costs RONALD G. ROWSWELL Print Edition 16/03/06 Re Alberta's Health Care (letter -- March 15): There are two questions that Iris Evans, Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness, should have addressed. First, why does the government defer to the private sector? A properly managed public clinic can be as innovative as one that is private, for-profit or private, non-profit.

    ----- Original Message -----
    To: pm@pm.gc.ca ; Harper, Stephen - M.P. ;
    Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 8:02 PM
    Subject: Western Standard's news of the day - Kinda of straight forward.
    "Harper is now the traitor to Canada's health care - Prime Minister Stephen Harper appears to be backing away from a confrontation with Alberta over its unacceptable Third Way health proposals Harper's election promise to support the Canada health act is looking insincere. Many critics say a simple statement by the prime minister that Alberta is violating the rules of medicare could have a major political impact - perhaps more impact, in this case, than a cut in federal transfer payments to the province. "I think this is a question of looking the other way. It's a wink and a nod to the provinces who want to privatize - Alberta, Quebec and B.C. - that the federal government is not going to stand in their way." and the lack of response from Ottawa has raised questions about "what the heck he (Harper) meant when he said during the federal election he would stand up and abide by the Canada Health Act and protect it." and what else has he Harper even now lied about? Posted by: Harper is now the traitor to Canada's health care | 13-Mar-06 5:51:01 PM "

    ----- Original Message -----
    To: pm@pm.gc.ca
    Cc: Harper, Stephen - M.P.
    Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 3:00 PM
    Subject: To the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper MP
    Dear very Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper MP March 7, 2006
    Also "Tuesday, March 07, 2006 Health Systems Have No Effect On Health
    http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2006/03/health_systems_.htm

    "A THIRD WAVE SEPARATE PRIVATE SYSTEM WILL STILL NECESSITATE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE EXISTING HEALTH SYSTEM. SOMETHING THE MOSTLY INCOMPETENT HEALTH MINISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST, TODATE. SO THE HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS IN ALBERTA WILL REMAIN LIKELY FOR THE REST OF US POOR FOLKS" "

    PS

    1: This type of false, dictatorial, undemocratic control of communication is exactly what I have seen myself for many years the senior pastors, and their managers doing at the perverse Christian Missionary Alliance churches in Canada . It is certainly both un Christian and un democratic, rather it is still demonic.

    2: "Blogging is nothing new
    29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
    30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
    31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
    32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
    33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
    (1 Cor 14 KJV)

    Blogging is nothing new, it has been practiced for centuries, but it has also been jealously and falsely suppressed for centuries too. Blogging today is not practiced in most of today's Churches even where it had started.

    Posted by: Blogging is nothing new | 16-Mar-06 3:10:13 PM"

    I rightfully also do not automatically assume that my elected representatives on their own are doing now a good job looking after me and everyone else. They also do need to be supervised now as well, and even next even held accountable too for their bad acts too. And how does your elected representative deal with your concerns now? Ignore you, schedule another golf game for herself or himself? make another pretentious statement? divert the issue to the future or what?

    http://groups.msn.com/CanadaToday

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:10 p.m.  

  • It is not just bad Conservative PM but bad Mps too i have to deal with

    ----- Original Message -----
    To: pm@pm.gc.ca ; Harper, Stephen - M.P. ;
    Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 1:27 PM
    Subject: Re:: Did you get Harper's approval to mail this to me? RSVP
    Does this meet your pre approval?
    Actually I do, did not need it. I posted it anyway for all to read.
    http://groups.msn.com/CanadaToday3/tomoorejamesmp.msnw

    ----- Original Message -----
    To: Moore, James - M.P.
    Cc: comments@whitehouse.gov ; pm@pm.gc.ca ; Harper, Stephen - M.P. ; Ambrose.R@parl.gc.ca ; ministre.industrie@ic.gc.ca ; mintc@tc.gc.ca ; Chong.M@parl.gc.ca ; minister_ministre@hc-sc.gc.ca ; Day.S@parl.gc.ca ; Emerson.D@parl.gc.ca ; Finley.D@parl.gc.ca ; Hearn.L@parl.gc.ca ; Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca ; Lunn.G@parl.gc.ca ; Mackay.P@parl.gc.ca ; Nicholson.R@parl.gc.ca ; OConnor.G@parl.gc.ca ; Oda.B@parl.gc.ca ; Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca ; Skelton.C@parl.gc.ca ; Solberg.M@parl.gc.ca ; Strahl.C@parl.gc.ca ; Thompson.G@parl.gc.ca ; Toews.V@parl.gc.ca ; Thompson.M@parl.gc.ca ; Abbott.J@parl.gc.ca ; Anders.R@parl.gc.ca ; Ablonczy.D@parl.gc.ca ; Obhrai.D@parl.gc.ca ; Williams.J@parl.gc.ca ; OwenS1@parl.gc.ca ; Pallister.B@parl.gc.ca ; MacKenzie.D@parl.gc.ca ; Yelich.L@parl.gc.ca ; Moore, James - M.P. ; Fletcher.S@parl.gc.ca ; Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca ; Lukiwski.T@parl.gc.ca ; Layton.J@parl.gc.ca ; Graham.B@parl.gc.ca ; Faille.M@parl.gc.ca ; letters@cbc.ca ; lettertoed@thestar.com ; news@ctv.ca ; duffy@ctv.ca ; am@ctv.ca ; submit@theherald.canwest.com ; localnews@tc.canwest.com ; tabtips@png.canwest.com ; sunnewstips@png.canwest.com ; sunletters@png.canwest.com ; city@thejournal.canwest.com ; globalnews.reg@globaltv.ca ; mmarshall@leaderpost.canwest.com ; sanderson@thecitizen.canwest.com ; oped@ott.sunpub.com ; tor_news@tor.sunpub.com ; editor@tor.sunpub.com ; edito@lapresse.ca ; letters@thegazette.canwest.com ; globalnational@canada.com ; newsroom@herald.ca ; Cabinet du Ministre ; info@michaelcoren.com ; justicenetwork@hotmail.com ; info@realwomenca.com ; ministre@finances.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@mtq.gouv.qc.ca ; cabinet@sct.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre.mapaq@agr.gouv.qc.ca ; ministredel@mtq.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre.cabinet@mderr.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@messf.gouv.qc.ca ; MINISTRE ; ministre.saic@mce.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@meq.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@travail.gouv.qc.ca ; cabinet@mrci.gouv.qc.ca ; ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca ; cabinet@revenu.gouv.qc.ca ; info@direction.ca
    Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 1:19 PM
    Subject: Re: Did you get Harper's approval to mail this to me? RSVP


    Thanks for the email and now I can next post it on the net to show all in Canada and world wide how the federal Conservative Cabinet Ministers do now abuse good citizens of Canada like me that do not go along with them too

    And just cause your PM boss is clearly a dictator, despotic manager it still even does not mean you can order me around now too.

    Did you firstly get Harper's approval to mail this to me? RSVP

    Did you ever even rightfully acknowledge any one of my many letters before to you now even? RSVP

    And are you for real ? What the Conservative rednecks openly abuse us citizens now and show their true colors.

    Freedom of speech is still my right and I can always, still write to any and all, note all of the member of Parliaments, all of the members of the legislature, all of the news editor I want in Canada and whether you like it or not too. This is the law and reality you need to respect especially as an MP too.

    You really do have it backwards
    "The Globe and Mail says Harper has ordered them to say nothing to the media unless it is first cleared by the Prime Minister's Office. "PMO will have final approval for all communications products -- even Notes to Editors or Letters to the Editor," an e-mail sent to bureaucrats states." CTV

    Do you also want to pre-approve my emails to all the news editors, others? Dream on.

    You got it also now backwards, you work of us and we do not work for you.

    We the citizens still are the one who pre approve, and approve too what you do.

    And if you do not like it yes you can resign , quit politics, stop taking the pay we taxpayer's pay you.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Moore, James - M.P.
    Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 12:58 PM
    Please remove this email address from your distribution lists.
    Thank you.
    >> http://groups.msn.com/CanadaToday3/healthcare.msnw

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:34 p.m.  

  • It would be nice if the "board" did what they used to do in ancient Japan when leaders changed and tey all commited suicide along with the leader.

    To see the collected corpses of David Brodie, John Bethel, David Hearle, Cadario, Duffy, Reid et al would be quite the site to see.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:51 p.m.  

  • To The Hon. Michael M. Fortier, P.C., Senator
    Minister of Public Works and Government Services

    Parliament Hill: Senate of Canada Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4
    Department: Public Works and Government Services
    Place du Portage, Phase III, Room 18A1 11 Laurier Street
    Gatineau, Quebec
    K1A 0S5
    Telephone: (819) 997-5421 Fax: (819) 956-8382

    Please note that MOORE, James, B.A. Parliamentary Secretary Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services is abusing me, falsely denying my right of free speech to all the members of Parliament. Please deal now with him and RSVP. Did this meet your approval too? I mailed my compliant now to all of Canada's MPs

    Re: Did you get Harper's approval to mail this to me? RSVP
    Thank you

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:31 p.m.  

  • It is still true that Premier Ralph Klein is "Darth Vader of health care, and he sure is not NDP Tommy Douglass.

    VANCOUVER (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein denies he's the "Darth Vader of health care," setting out to destroy the Canadian health system. Klein told a fundraising luncheon for the blind on Friday that the typical reaction outside of Alberta to his suggested health-care changes has been to sound the alarm bells. "Once again we're looked upon as the bad boys of health care, the renegade province," he said. Klein told the crowd of about 200 people that Canadians need to have a serious discussion about health care because the system isn't sustainable in its current form. "I haven't come here as the Darth Vader of the health care. I'm not out to destroy the public system as we know it today," he said. He said the Canada Health Act wasn't brought in to prevent change. "It's not there to stop innovation dead in it's tracks and it's not there to protect a health system that can't deliver timely service." Klein said governments are throwing more money at health care, yet the results aren't getting better.
    What Alberta's Premeir Ralph really means about discussion is that it should be all his way still? and he should be doing all of the disucssion talking, and not any opposition members, who he too had wrongfuly tried to shut up, even persons like me. And yes putting pails into pails full of holes is realy a bad management skill, it is just as bad as appointing incompetent pretentious Health Ministers at the federal and provincial levels now too, and that is also something I have said for the last ten years too.

    Like others too have said ""A THIRD WAVE SEPARATE PRIVATE SYSTEM WILL STILL NECESSITATE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE EXISTING HEALTH SYSTEM. SOMETHING THE MOSTLY INCOMPETENT HEALTH MINISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST, TODATE. SO THE HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS IN ALBERTA WILL REMAIN LIKELY FOR THE REST OF US POOR FOLKS" "

    I got another undeniable fact for you if all of the pretentious mostly Premiers, PMs and Health Ministers had really wanted to find a real solution they would have done it a long long time ago.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:37 p.m.  

  • Good News to beat the gloom.
    IRAN BLINKS! There should be no talk of any withdrawl date. The military and our Canadian guys in Afghanistan deserve our encouragement.

    Did notes from Bush and Koffi carry some weight in having Iranian dissident writer Ganji freed from SIX years of prison?

    More than half of Iranian voters are western progressive but they either became apathetic about voting or the elections were fiddled. But they are pro democratic.

    The severe ruling clerics are pulling back somewhat by allowing Ganji to go free.
    Here is Forbes view.

    http://tinyurl.com/p2c89

    http://releaseganji.net/

    This could lead to some progress and should be encouraging to the military.

    Iran would be wise to withdraw Muqtada Al-Sadr and his *Black Headbands* from their kidnapping for ransom habits in Basra and Baghdad.
    http://HealingIraq.blogspot.com
    10words.ca

    By Blogger TonyGuitar, at 3:31 a.m.  

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