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August Archives

August 30, 2005 - We'll admit it...when Frank McKenna was appointed as our Ambassador in Washington, this website had great scepticism, particularly towards his chummy relationship with the Bush clan.

But stories like this continue to surface 4-5 months later, and McKenna has proven to be Canada's most vocal defender down south, far greater than the timid and ineffective Paul Martin.

TDH wrote this in March:

"McKenna is on the right track when he talks about Canada developing its own meat processing industry, for example.  That is real economic policy that the Americans would be forced to sit up and take notice of.  If linkage isn't the answer because of its abrasive nature, than the creation of made in Canada solutions, including the expansion of trade relationships with other countries (as Industry Minister David Emerson has been bandying about for many months now) could be a smart and effective alternative."

McKenna and Emerson make an interesting combination...could we be seeing the future Prime Minister and Finance Minister in waiting?

August 30, 2005 - Yes, we all found out last week that security costs to protect Paul Martin are higher than those attributed to British PM Tony Blair (and considering how Blair is loathed in so many circles back in the land of Limeys, that is really saying something about Martin's position with the Canadian people).

But $123,543 in vehicle costs for a trip to Washington that lasted for less than 3 days is just outrageous.

"Foreign affairs department spokesperson Rodney Moore said that cost of the trip was "standard" for an official visit.

The vehicle rentals "included pick-ups and drop-offs of the official delegation at commercial airports," he said."

It makes you wonder...can anyone inside the government account for how much is spent for trips of this sort?  And if there isn't that type of internal scrutiny, then why not?

Fiscal responsibility with the public purse should be extended to the "minor" expenditures just as much as it should to the major ones.

Anyone who works within the community can tell you how much impact that kind of money could have.

Can there really be that much of a premium between rental cars and Prime Ministerial entourages?

August 29, 2005 - TDH Strategies doesn't exactly understand the logic behind this whiny interview that NDP MPs Pat Martin and Joe Comartin gave to the Hill Times this week.

Paul Martin just emerged from a caucus retreat where he had a number of backbench MPs complain about the timing of a winter election, which in turn forced the Prime Minister to clamp down and commit once again to the 30 day post-Gomery pledge.

The internal strife didn't look good for the Liberals, and made it seem as though they were frightened to go back to the polls.

But with both Martin and Comartin publicly bitching about having to campaign in the snow, they have handed the PM ammunition to change plans should he deem the Gomery report to be too hot.

Listen to this quote:

"We're only talking about the difference of a month or at the maximum two months. I don't think the impact of Gomery is going to be affected in that short period of time."

Wrong.  If Gomery has any chance to renew the anger felt by Canadians this past spring, it is within the 30 days following the release of his final findings, and no later.

Waiting until the spring will give the Liberals a full legislative session complete with a budget, which will leave Gomery as a faint memory in the minds of a populace already fatigued with corruption, incredulousness and politics in general.

NDP leader Jack Layton has the ability to further push Martin towards an agenda of his liking, and yet he allows 2 of his more prominent caucus members to portray the NDP as weak and ill-prepared.

The NDP must build upon the momentum they gained before Parliament shut down for the summer, and the only way that is going to happen is by continuing to back Paul Martin in a public policy corner that is branded by NDP principles.

"Neither snow, nor sleet, nor rain, nor dark of night"...the Postman always seems to ring twice.

Time for our Members of Parliament to buck up and show how thick their skin really is.

August 26, 2005 - A 1984 quote from Brian Mulroney:

"If I were the President [of the United States] I would wake up every morning and say, 'thank God for Canada. Now what can I do for Canada?"

To be honest, this idea doesn't seem like such a bad one, in consideration of a) Mulroney's chummy relationship with the Bush family b) the fact that he is the one who sold the concept of free trade to Canada and c) the way that Paul Martin acts like little more than a welcome mat for the Americans to wipe their feet on.

So, let's put the old crook to work!

August 26, 2005 - Michael Ignatieff is coming home to teach at the University of Toronto, and Liberals hungry for a viable leadership candidate - any leadership candidate - wait in anticipation.

And with flip flops like this already under his belt:

"But the move may come as a surprise because as recently as March, he told the Star's Graham Fraser that leaving Harvard just wasn't in his future."

"Simple things are true," Ignatieff said then. "I have the best job in the world, and I can't see any foreseeable circumstance where I want to change. And that's the hand-on-heart truth."

he seems well poised for the political process.

Hand-on-heart truth indeed.

August 25, 2005 - Does everyone remember this?:

Martin-linked Earnscliffe still wins profitable government contracts
Glen McGregor, The Ottawa Citizen

"A consulting firm closely linked to Prime Minister Paul Martin continues to win lucrative government contracts for polling and research, even as opposition parties allege political interference in past contracts."

"The contracts were all awarded under standing offers, a competitive bidding process that allows government departments to hire a qualified supplier as needed. The work on the contract was done under the name of Veraxis Research and Communications, a new company established by Earnscliffe partner David Herle, who ranks as one of Mr. Martin's closest advisers."

Now we're not going to rehash the fact that Mr. Herle has been feeding at the trough of the Department of Finance for the better part of a decade...that is old news.

What we are trying to establish by these excerpts, however, is the fact that David Herle is a pollster, and consistently identifies himself as one.

Which makes his presentation to the Liberal caucus yesterday all the more puzzling.

Herle spent hours speaking about the potential of the Liberals achieving a majority government, including a little ego stroking into his talk by acknowledging that it was "a daunting task" but "if I pull it off they won't talk about David Smith anymore, they'll talk about me."

The funny part?  HE DIDN'T PRESENT ANY POLLING DATA.  He talked in vague generalities, or as one Liberal MP described it, came across as "shallow and deceptive."

So in other words, Herle got on his soapbox, and told people to just trust him, in spite of the fact that Ipsos-Reid just came out with numbers indicating that the Tories are within a slim 8 percentage points, and that 19 per cent of the population is undecided.

It gets better though.  After selling the caucus the possibility of a majority, he then goes onto say:

"...either we win a majority or we could lose entirely."

Huh?

He also claimed that interest in Jack Layton and the NDP has "subsided," which is baffling, considering that the NDP is going to be very competitive in BC and the Prairies, two regions in which Herle promised electoral breakthroughs (8-10 seats in the Prairies, and a major paradigm shift in BC).

Herle almost created a revolt amongst Liberal candidates last year, who felt that his management of the election campaign was lacklustre at best.  He also promised to step aside in the middle of the campaign if he was "an impediment" to victory.

And this is the guy that Liberals are supposed to be placing faith in to run another national campaign?

Fear not, fellow Grits...Herle's expert opinion says that the Liberals could win, or they could lose.

And that, as it turns out, is good enough for Paul Martin.

August 23, 2005 - To great surprise from some readers, TDH Strategies wrote this on July 8:

"Two-tier health care in this country is already here...so now is the time to address it.

We must modernize the Canada Health Act.  And correspondingly, the only way a process can stay true to Canadian values and ensure the trust of the public is if it begins with a Liberal government.

We are all consumers of the health care system.  Thus, any notion of private health care MUST be carefully regulated so that we are protected.  There must be strict regulations to govern the private delivery of seniors care, day surgeries, diagnostic facilities, etc."

So not two months later, reports on Toronto's new private cancer clinic for the rich indicate that semantics are what is being used to justify its existence:

"David Spencer, spokesman for Health Minister George Smitherman, said the ministry plans to keep an eye on Provis to ensure it doesn't offer drugs covered by OHIP, which is illegal under the Canada Health Act."

Any which way you slice it, this is private care that is certainly not within the range of Joe Schmoe Average.  And if it is offering more expensive and arguably superior drug treatments than the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, then how can that not be considered two-tier health care?

The federal government had better wake up...Ujjal Dosanjh, for all his NDP credentials that he liked to campaign on during the election, has been a complete and utter failure when it comes to his health portfolio.  First he was marginalized to a nominal player in the $41 billion negotiations with the provinces a year ago, and now he sits back and does nothing while private health care explodes across the country.

Either disregard your claim to supporting a universal health care system, or begin the conversation on how we can better regulate the industry by updating the Canada Health Act.

But for the federal government to continue to operate in this grey area of apathy is just unacceptable, lazy and short-sighted governance.

August 23, 2005 - You know what's scary?  In present day America, this type of logic from the religious right is the kind of support that someone who wants to become President needs in order to secure victory.  Here some more winners from Reverend Pat Robertson over the years:

"Individual Christians are the only ones really---and Jewish people, those who trust God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--are the only ones that are qualified to have the reign, because hopefully, they will be governed by God and submit to Him."
-- Reverend Pat Robertson, defending his stance that only Christians and Jews are fit to hold public office, January 11, 1985

"You don't dare say America or Christianity is a better way of living. When I said during my presidential bid that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. 'What do you mean?' the media challenged me. 'You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe the Judeo-Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, 'Yes, they are.'"
-- Reverend Pat Robertson, The New World Order, 1991

"The strategy against the American radical left should be the same as General Douglas MacArthur employed against the Japanese in the Pacific... bypass their strongholds, then surround them, isolate them bombard them, then blast the individuals out of their power bunkers with hand-to-hand combat. The battle for Iwo Jima was not pleasant, but our troops won it. The battle to regain the soul of America won't be pleasant either, but we will win it."
--Reverend Pat Robertson's "Perspective", April-May, 1992

"You know it's an amazing thing -- this is a Christian country, it's founded by Christians, Christmas is one of our great celebrations. It's been a time of joy for our people for many years, and not only us, but now they're picking up Christmas in Japan, picking it up in China. It's something that has blessed the world. And if people don't like America and the traditions that made America great, let them go to Saudi Arabia, let them go to Pakistan. Yeah, they can go to the Sudan and find a wonderful Muslim holiday."
-- Reverend Pat Robertson, December 23, 2004

This so called holy man is all about hate.

These kind of pious hypocrites make us sick.

August 22, 2005 - For all of TDH Strategies' criticism of Stephen Harper, and his inability to really connect with Canadians, these polling numbers released today seem to indicate that the Conservatives aren't in such bad shape.

What is very interesting however is the fact that there is apparently 19% of voters who remain undecided or non-committal, meaning that the Gomery report in December could have a lot more impact than was first suspected by this website.

This only puts greater emphasis on the need for every party to have a brilliant fall session.  For the Liberals, they must  divert attention away from the inevitable renewed interest and outrage in the sponsorship scandal that is bound to resurface come December 15; this will come with an interesting, engaging and activist agenda.  For the Conservatives, they have to show that they actually have a viable and attractive plan for governance beyond the usual "Liberals are corrupt" style of opposition they have become accustomed to offering.  And for the NDP, they need to make inroads in Ontario and British Columbia if they want to play Kingmakers following the next election.

It will be a true test of political mastery to see who can do the most for their respective party in a month and a half.

August 22, 2005 - This is just sad, particularly for such a young man.  And after reading the article, the situation is also very frightening.

Chuck Strahl has always been one of the classiest presences on the benches of the Reform/Alliance/Conservative party, and is well suited in his role as Deputy Speaker.

For a number of reasons, the ravages of cancer have really hit Parliament Hill hard, so let's hope that our representatives start to wake up and understand the consequences of their Member of Parliament, fast-food heavy, no-exercise, high stress lifestyles.  The reason for Strahl's illness seems to be out of his control; many others, on the other hand, are their own worst enemies.

Godspeed, Chuck.

August 19, 2005 - The Toronto Star's Chantal Hébert praising Stephen Harper?  Amazing, but true:

"Harper has been criticized in the past for failing to project beyond his narrow base, most recently last June when he questioned the legitimacy of the same-sex marriage law because it was passed with the support of the Bloc Québécois.

In this case, though, he has shown himself to be well up to the task of making the measured judgment calls that Canada is entitled to expect of mature national leaders."

Hébert likes the fact that Harper made a tempered, level-headed political decision, even when the opportunity to attack was served up on a silver platter.  Paul Martin, on the other hand? Well:

"What is certain...is that the way the controversy was handled has done little to put to rest the issue of Martin's clumsiness on the Quebec-Canada front."

Unfortunately for Stephen, Quebec City Winter Carnival mascot Bonhomme:

is much more likely to win a riding than any Conservative candidate the party puts forward in that province.

Scary thought, but there is not one viable federalist option to take on the Bloc or the PQ in the coming elections.

Without a new, fresh face stepping forward in the next five years, we're in big trouble.

And on that cheery note, have a great weekend.

August 18, 2005 - Like TDH Strategies suggested on August 10, Stephen Harper should really adopt tax cuts as one of the major planks of his efforts to woo Canadians to the Conservatives.

From our visitor logs, this website is also aware that certain individuals from the Department of Finance are regular readers.

So you tell us...coincidence?  First the Globe, now this...they should all just put TDH on a retainer, if for nothing else, good ideas.

All joking aside, however, Harper's window is closing quickly, particularly if Ralph Goodale's fiscal update includes some financial relief for Canadians.

The above-linked article also seems to indicate an opportunity:

"The fiscal update is unlikely to include major, broad-based tax cuts for the middle class, sources said. The Liberals are yet to decide the balance between more modest tax measures for business and individuals and limited spending on areas such as the environment."

If there is a projected $8 billion in surplus for this past fiscal year, and the government is in the process of crafting a strategy paper on implementing a "growth agenda," then Harper would be very smart to act now and back the Liberals into a corner.

The government have spent like there was no tomorrow over the past couple of years, only to find that their coffers are once again flush with cash.  The average, middle class Canadian is feeling the pinch of taxes, particularly at the gas pumps...so the issue is hot and contemporary.  And Harper has valiantly tried to look like a man of the people for the entire summer, but never really did or said anything to advance that image.

Here is his chance.

If Harper has political staff that are of any consequence left in his office, they will seize on this issue and run with it.  Why?

Because at the end of the day, Gomery, sponsorship and the Governor General just ain't going to cut it.

August 18, 2005 - Roger Gallaway, MP for Sarnia-Lambton, is a wingnut who often sounds more like an old-school Reformer than anything even remotely close to a Liberal. 

So, it is very rare that there is anything out of this man's mouth (his views on same-sex marriage, his lackadaisical attitude towards gun control, his complete opposition to the Kyoto protocol) that TDH can stomach, much less agree with.

In this instance, however, we couldn't have said it better ourselves:

"What we have now is a bunch of people in these (PMO) positions who have no understanding of history or of (the) constitutional role. They have not adhered to the precedents of selection of a Governor General ... and have got themselves into trouble."

Give it 10 years, and if he's lucky, Paul Martin might be remembered as a Prime Minister who tried very hard, but who consistently surrounded himself with a bunch of political buffoons.

August 17, 2005 - Wow...we're cancelling a meeting with them.  Not having to listen to Pierre Pettigrew:

should really get the Americans' attention.

You never know...threats (promises?) like that might be incentive enough for them to never come back to the negotiating table.

August 17, 2005 - When the Prime Minister's Office (and we mean this particular PMO) gets jumpy, things that tend to bite them in the ass later on get spoken.

Take for example this assertion delivered to the Globe and Mail:

"Again yesterday, PMO communications director Scott Reid said that Mr. Lafond "is not a separatist, nor has ever been a participant or a militant in the sovereigntist movement."

This is a pretty bold statement, considering that the husband of the incoming (for the moment) Governor General states in his own book:

“A sovereign Quebec? An independent Quebec? Yes, I applaud with both hands.”

Which then begs the question: how can you be so sure, Mr. Reid?

Stephen Harper has been wise to wait before commenting, but is now calling on the Prime Minister to clear the air, which at this point seems like a very reasonable request.

So get the GG designate Michaëlle Jean to comment on how indebted to and proud of this country she really is.  Let her come out and show that she has an independent voice, and state that her husband's views are not her own. 

But why make such an unequivocal statement when there is absolutely no way that you can be sure of its validity?

Then again, this website asked the exact same thing after hearing that Paul Martin would "fix healthcare for a generation,"  "eliminate the democratic deficit," or "affirm our sovereignty" with the United States.

August 16, 2005 - Take a look at the first paragraph of the Globe and Mail's lead editorial from this morning...guess they read what TDH Strategies had to say about Scott Reid's comments yesterday.

August 16, 2005 -  After continuing to read about the antics of this man, is it any wonder why Larry Campbell was ready to bolt the Vancouver municipal scene for the Senate?

Now back to the important issues that Vancouver City Council regularly tackles:

3. Space Preservation Treaty

October 21, 2003

WHEREAS, the termination of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty on June 13, 2002, permits research, development, testing, manufacturing, production and deployment of space-based weapons, thereby promoting an arms race in space;

AND WHEREAS, the Space Preservation Treaty will establish a permanent ban on all space-based weapons, on the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit; and the permanent termination of research and development, testing, manufacturing, production and deployment of all space-based weapons;

AND WHEREAS, the Space Preservation Treaty will establish an outer space peacekeeping agency to monitor outer space and enforce the permanent ban of space-based weapons;

AND WHEREAS, the Space Preservation Treaty permits space exploration, space research and development, testing, manufacturing or deployment that is not related to space-based weapons or systems, including civil, commercial, or defence activities such as communications, navigation, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning, or remote sensing;

AND WHEREAS, the Space Preservation Treaty facilitates investment in clean, safe and sustainable technology, products and services to support expanded, cooperative, non-weapons space ventures and the consequent stimulation of the national and world economy;

AND WHEREAS, the Space Preservation Treaty preserves the peaceful, cooperative uses of space for all residents of Vancouver and prevents harmful health and safety impacts on residents from space-based weapons testing.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, Vancouver City Council urge the Prime Minister of Canada to sign the Space Preservation Treaty and have the House of Commons of Canada ratify it;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, Vancouver City Council urge the Government of Canada to convene a treaty-signing conference for the Space Preservation Treaty, as Canada did in the treaty-signing conference in December 1997, where 122 countries signed the Convention Banning Land Mines, known as the Ottawa Convention;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, this resolution of Vancouver City Council be sent to the President and Executive of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for information.

August 16, 2005 -  TDH Strategies argued a couple of weeks back that Irwin Cotler was being evasive and even weak when it came to the Marc Emery case.  Well, at no point has this position become more crystallized than after reading this article by the Vancouver Sun's Ian Mulgrew. 

Take for example this exchange from the above-linked piece:

"I cut to the chase with Cotler: When domestic prosecutors and judges won't deal with Emery as a criminal, is it fair to allow him to be ruined and possibly imprisoned by a foreign power?

"How can that be justice?" I asked. "It's about the issue of justice and is it fair?"

"I've read your reports on this," he said, "and I answered the question. I thought I gave a rather detailed and frank answer. I don't know what it is I can add to it . . . I have to deal with the nature of international treaties, I have to deal with the nature of the extradition processes. As I said, I can't comment on any particular case if it is before the courts, and I don't want to dodge the issue by saying that."

But you get his drift; in my opinion he was ducking and weaving as fast as he could.

"So you think it's fair?" I persisted.

"No, that's your extrapolation from what I said."

Indeed it is."

Mulgrew also mentions that the provincial health ministry as well as Health Canada have quietly been referring licensed medicinal marijuana users to Emery for many years.

And now we are prepared to just throw him to the wolves?

Really, this is unacceptable.  The "I can't comment because it is before the courts" and "we are bound by international treaties" type-answers are indicative of a Minister who would rather wash his hands of the whole affair...apparently pot doesn't play very well in his Westmount constituency.

The Canadian government has to step up to the plate and articulate a defined position, if not on our views on the U.S. war on drugs or the decriminalization bill, then at least in defence of a Canadian citizen facing an unjust sentence in a foreign country.

August 15, 2005 -  Hmmm...you think this decree might be hard to enforce, considering how many of Paul Martin's political hacks have been spread throughout the public service over the past couple of years?

August 15, 2005 - The emerging Governor General scandal produced an article with the headline "Martin defends viceregal couple's loyalty" in Saturday's Globe & Mail.  As if the possibility of Paul Martin appointing a Governor General that has separatist and terrorist ties wasn't enough, the Globe's piece contained two items that make Martin look even worse.

First, here is the official explanation from the Prime Minister's Office over Martin's selection:

"There is a rigorous process and when the Prime Minister says that he is satisfied and that we can all be satisfied that Madame Jean and Mr. Lafond are committed Canadians, we have good reasons to believe the Prime Minister," Mr. Reid said.

It is an "obvious fact" that neither Ms. Jean nor Mr. Lafond is a separatist, he added, although he refused to give details of the background checks."

Very comforting - trust the Prime Minister on this one, because if he thinks that Jean and Lafond are loyal to Canada, then that should be good enough for us.

But wait, it gets better:

"People are just going to have to take that to the bank. We are not going to disgrace either of these people or their office by asking them to turn out their underwear drawer and justify their allegiance to Queen and country," Mr. Reid said."

Blind faith, people...have we ever led you astray before?

Then, as you flip to A7 to read the continuation of the piece, you are greeted with this second headline: "PM's answers to Jean queries satisfy premiers."

So now the media has become trained as to who wears the pants Martin's vision of "asymmetrical federalism," a set of relationships where the premiers continue to walk all over our weak and feeble Prime Minister.

Like his plan in June to have Transport Minister Jean Lapierre, one of the founding members of the Bloc Québécois, try to goad Gilles Duceppe to leave Ottawa and assume the reins of the Parti Québécois, Martin is again well on his way to serving up a shiny new apple for the separatist cause.

Even when he thinks he is doing good for Quebec's relationship with the rest of Canada, he screws it up.  He sure ain't like Chretien in terms of carrying out his due diligence with separatists.

By the end of Paul Martin's rein in office, will anyone know what federalism means anymore?

August 12, 2005 - So yesterday, the free rag handed out at public transit stops across Vancouver 24 Hours actually had an item of interest.

Nazi sympathizer and Holocaust denier Doug Christie, who happens to be the founder of the Western Canada Concept, is claiming that 36% of westerners support sovereignty, and is advocating for Canada's four western provinces to form their own country.

Now, go ask Warren Kinsella about this guy, and you will find out how truly crazy he really is (Kinsella's book Web of Hate has 16 pages on Christie and all of his legal cases defending hate mongers).

So how does the brilliant <gag> Stephen Owen, Minister of Sport and Western Economic Diversification, defend against Christie's comments?  Well, by claiming that western alienation is a myth:

"Frankly anybody who thinks that we are alienated from the rest of Canada is talking nonsense."

Mr. Owen is obviously unaware of how the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) just received $708 million in renewed funding, compared to $186 million allotted for Western Economic Diversification, his own department (of which $35 million is money that has already been budgeted for).  He must be ignorant of the fact that the population of the Maritime provinces (2,343,300 in total) is dwarfed when compared to the population of the four Western provinces (9,564,000 in total).

He also, apparently, doesn't pay attention to his own leader, Paul Martin

"Ottawa needs a deeper relationship with British Columbia. There's no question in my mind that B.C.'s sense of alienation is not a myth, that it's real."
                                                           - November, 2003

So either western alienation has been cured in just under 2 years, or Stephen Owen in all his infinite wisdom is freelancing against the talking points of his own government.

This guy is a liability to have as a western voice around the cabinet table.  It would be better to have one of the Atlantic M.P.'s speak on our behalf...they are actually respected, and know how to get things done.

August 11, 2005 - Not to harp on an issue, but how perfect is this picture:

to describe the way the premiers have been raping and pillaging from the Prime Minister over the past couple of years (the masked bandit, by the way, is Premier of Alberta Ralph Klein).

"It's almost like the premiers have been treating the Martin government like a huge buffet table where they can wander up and load up their plates with whatever goodies they want because Martin has given in on so many issues," said David Taras, a political scientist at the University of Calgary."

It is interesting to note how the Council of the Federation, the new friendly name that the premiers have given their group of extortionists, was anointed off of an idea from none other than Quebec Premier Jean Charest, just months after Paul Martin took office.

There is now a suggestion that because Martin's numbers have improved, he is going to stand firm on the premiers' demands.

"The fact of the matter is," as our fearless leader likes to repeat so often, is that he is not going to suddenly function as the leader of a strong central government just because he has temporary, summer stability at the polls.

His desire to try and please everyone, while delivering very little for the country as a whole, is ingrained.  And until TDH Strategies sees one inkling to suggest a contrary approach, we won't hold our breaths for Martin to stand up to his provincial counterparts.

August 11, 2005 - As was written in our June 28, 2005 commentary:

"Fast forward to 2005, where Jack has not only maximized his 19 seat caucus to full effect (ensuring $4.6 billion in new spending within the budget, pushing the same-sex legislation to a vote, threatening to withdraw support if an Air India inquiry is not called), but has also become a statesman in approach.  He is calm, he is controlled, and most importantly, the words that come out of his mouth are carefully considered, thoughtful and provocative.

No surprise then that Jack has become a media darling in recent months.

Layton is blowing the rest of the field away, and beginning to show the promise that so many (including TDH) had for him when he assumed the reins back in 2003.   Now, the party that is likely to benefit the most from the disintegration of the Conservatives is the NDP, who in the next election will likely win their highest amount of seats since the Ed Broadbent glory days of 1988,"

Jack Layton had a brilliant session in the House of Commons before breaking for the summer, and this announcement seems to indicate he isn't going to let up.

Now they must be very careful in the way they conduct themselves, as the NDP never should be blamed for bringing down a government.

On the other hand, holding Martin's feet to the political fire, as has been demonstrated by the premiers, isn't very difficult, considering his relatively low pain threshold.

Jack, you're going to be facing off against the promise of tax cuts, combined with a fatigued Canadian public who has been spread very thin...you are going to have to fight hard and more importantly, smart, to direct those surplus monies mentioned yesterday into the areas you deem as important.

Against the likes of Harper and Martin, he should make out OK.

August 10, 2005 - Quick hits today:

          • Here is another interesting file that Bernard Lord is taking a
             national lead on.  Innovative, fresh ideas in public policy is
             exactly what the Conservative Party of Canada needs right
             now.  Are you listening Stephen Harper?  Are you looking
             over your shoulder?
           • The bureaucracy is contaminated with rot everywhere,
              making this decision a good first step towards cleaning up
              a largely unproductive and complacent federal public
              service.  These are savings that can really be put to better
              use by the government, in spite of the inevitable labour
              strife such a decision is going to incur from the union.
           • We'll believe it when we see it.  Panel rulings have never
              made an impact in this dispute thus far, making it hard to
              believe that the U.S. government is going to all of a sudden
              abide by the parameters of free trade.
           • This man is absolutely unbelievable.  By taking on Bush and
              the practices of his administration, he is representing people
              that have been abused around the world, from Guantanamo
              Bay to Syria to Buffalo, N.Y.
           • One last thing on Harper.  He must come back to Ottawa in
              September with one focus: tax cuts.  The federal government
              has been on a spending spree whirlwind over the past two
              years, and we still have an $8 billion surplus on the way.  A
              skilled politician can craft a rallying cry that Canadians
              everywhere will adopt with fervour.  An inept politician will
              have to defend which programs he intends to cut, and be
              placed on the defensive for wanting to put more money back
              into the pockets of the public.  This is a winning issue for the
              Conservative leader to take on...so for the sake of his political
              future, Harper had better not screw this up.

August 9, 2005 - Facing "a wipeout in French Quebec" (as described by the Montreal Gazette this morning), ready to begin an all-out war with the public-sector unions, and looking to go back to the polls two years too early, Jean Charest has turned to the most malleable scapegoats he can find to soften the blow of the next few of months: Paul Martin and the federal government.

God knows how much TDH Strategies is in love with Quebec, to the point that by comparison, British Columbia is often described in what some might call unflattering terms. 

This request, however, is absolutely ludicrous, and as a direct result of Mr. Martin's advocacy of "asymmetrical federalism."

Quite frankly, when the Premier of Quebec begins to galavant abroad to solely represent his province, as Mr. Charest did when he visited Haiti last year (against cries from the department of Foreign Affairs), it becomes an international embarrassment for the Canadian government.

Having Alberta Premier Ralph Klein travel to Washington to address a ban on Canadian beef that is badly hurting his province is one thing.  But witnessing Charest hop around as if he is the leader of an independent province within the context that is Canada...well that is just unacceptable.

Fearful of the mess he has created for the federalist cause in Quebec, and so desperately trying to regain political support and ultimately seats within la belle province, Martin has thus far avoided taking a real stand with regards to Charest and his antics.

So here follows the obvious question: if he can so easily be walked over by what is considered a friendly, federalist premier, how is Martin going to acquiesce if the Parti Québécois and a new hard-line sovereignist leader take the reins of the province come November?

Then what? 

Martin scares the shit out of this website in his abilities (or lack thereof) to keep this country together. 

Is there anyone out there that will fight for Canada?

August 9, 2005 - Couldn't agree more with this...South Africa has been playing footsies with this monster for far too long.  And if the rest of the world lets him continue to run his people into the ground (either by a gunshot or extreme poverty), then Thabo Mbeki has a moral obligation to take a stand.

Question is, and this applies to Canada or the United States just as easily as it does to Africa: is there courage and bravery in politics anymore?

August 9, 2005 - We love this story.  Aside from the greater symbolism that these two particular individuals represent, this is just a simple life lesson for everyone to take note of. 

August 8, 2005 - This quote was in Saturday's Vancouver Sun, taken from an excerpt of a speech given by Stephen Brooks, a policy wonk at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, D.C.:

"I think it is fair to say that the last several Canadian elections have shown that conservatism in Canada is a flop."

Funnily enough, Brooks does not attribute this fact to either a lack of leadership on the right ("the "it's the messenger" explanation I find to be particularly lame and weak), nor to the makeup of our political culture ("the economic conservatism message is...not the non-starter in Canadian politics that social conservatism appears to be").

He is right on one front: if you leave the social conservative, moral authority preaching at home, Canadians have the potential to be won over by a platform that advocates for greater economic freedoms and more money left in their pockets.

Where he is wrong, however, is in his failure to acknowledge how detrimental a lack of convincing and inspiring leadership has been to the Conservative movement in Canada.

Which brings us to the present, and Stephen Harper, whose BBQ circuit attempts at connecting with the people has fallen flat, to be kind.  At this point, hugging babies and flipping burgers is not going to be able to repair Harper's shortcomings, particularly with regards to the Canadian electorate.

After having a conversation with a formerly diehard Reform supporter over the weekend, and hearing him sing the praises of Paul Martin in contrast to the uneasiness he felt for Harper, it is clear that Stephen does not have the capability to solidify his own base, never mind trying to expand it.

When Warren Kinsella and TDH sat down in Toronto about a month ago, WK's rant from July 29th was relayed in person, outlining how thin a line it is from a Liberal minority government to a Conservative minority government. 

Nonetheless, you'll have to excuse us if we are a little skeptical about polling taken 8-10 months previous to an election.  The scaremongering tactics that the Liberals use (fairly or unfairly) seem pretty effective during the course of an election campaign, particularly for a man who has a hard time defending his own comments ("It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls around Alberta...").

The Tories must understand that Harper is a recipe for the status quo.  For as bumbling as Martin can be in a debate, or in front of the cameras, he comes across as a hugely sympathetic figure in contrast to the steely, blue eyes of his opponent.

Now is the time for Harper to do the right thing and step aside so that Bernard Lord, the most engaging and exciting political presence Conservatives have at this point, can turn the fortunes of the party around.

One only needs to examine Lord's recent public utterances on the state of education in this country to know that he is slowly trying to emerge onto the national scene.  And, the issue he has picked is a brilliant first front into the policy misgivings he has about the direction of the federal government.

Lord is young, bilingual, intelligent, and a man that could make Martin look like an amateur.  Yet, the Tories seem insistent on holding onto this:

And Liberals everywhere will continue to chant "Y.M.C.A." in support.

August 5, 2005 - "The Next Great Prime Minister" contest has been revamped so that this year they are asking entrants to send in videos, with selections getting the opportunity to appear in front of a live national television audience in the fall.

TDH Strategies has a very simple concept, a script, an editor, and even actors...but have yet to find anyone to film a 3-5 minute clip.  We guarantee that we will at least make the shortlist, assuming that we find someone with at least some experience behind a camera.

So again, we are asking all readers: can anyone step in and help?

Off to Gabriola Island...back with another commentary on Monday.

August 5, 2005 - Another scandal has hit Ottawa, and the federal government is desperately trying to ignore it.

TDH Strategies was working with former Minister Herb Dhaliwal when decisions were being made about the Canadian consulate general in Chandigarh, India.

In November, 2003, Bhupinder Liddar, a well respected journalist with expertise in diplomacy and international affairs, was appointed to the position.  At the time, there was widespread praise, both domestically and internationally, for the selection.

He was raised in Kenya and studied in the US before moving to Ottawa where he worked as an assistant to some MPs. Later, he started his own magazine catering to the diplomatic community in the Canadian capital. He became an integral part of the cocktail circuit, throwing parties and entertaining envoys. Just this year, he revived the annual Vaisakhi show in Ottawa where all top leaders were to come but for the death of Pope John Paul II.

So it was with great shock to this website and other observers that mere weeks into the reign of Paul Martin, the appointment was taken away because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)  refused to give him clearance on undisclosed security grounds.

As it were, following this surprising decision, the position was constantly bandied about in political circles as a reward for a failed Liberal candidate such as former BC cabinet minister Dr. Gulzar Cheema, or other high profile Martin supporters who were looking to be paid off for their political actions towards unseating Jean Chretien.

For the past 20 months, Liddar, who had sold his publication, Diplomat, before moving to Chandigarh, has sat waiting for a decision from the security review. Canadian taxpayers, in the meantime, have had to keep paying him $120,000 per annum.

On Wednesday, The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) concluded that Liddar was unjustly declared a security risk before his posting to India was revoked.

Instead of blowing up like a scandal of this magnitude should, however, the story has gone completely under the radar.

Here is Mr. Dhaliwal commenting on the contents of the SIRC's findings:

"This report is devastating to CSIS. It's extremely critical of the way they've conducted themselves, the way they did the evaluation, the conclusions they came to. If I was in government now, I would have some very serious questions for CSIS and the way they operate. I think that it's really unbelievable if people knew the whole story about the conduct of CSIS."

On so many different levels, these SIRC revelations are unacceptable, and quite frankly, disgusting.  Paul Martin has yet to comment on the findings, and likely will try and keep his dealings with Liddar behind closed doors.

Of greater concern than tarnishing a man's name and career, or having Canadian taxpayers unnecessarily on the hook for over $200,000 of wasted money, however, is the fact that CSIS completely bungled their handling of this alleged "security" risk.

And now just days later, we hear that nearly 4 years after September 11, the federal government is finally going to get its ass moving on revamping and overhauling security measures?  What a joke.

Martin had better not try and sweep this under the carpet.  Canadians deserve, and will very soon start to demand, answers.

August 5, 2005 - Mark Emery has always been a shameless self promoter of the most transparent kind.  Witnessing Emery sit stoned and enamoured with the sound of his own voice at an all-candidates meeting during the recent BC election campaign once again confirmed this for TDH Strategies.  In our mind, his activism has always been burdened by an ego that loves to see his face and/or name in print - whether in the newspaper, on a ballot, or as an ongoing featured subject in his Cannabis Culture magazine.

So true to form, Emery is now claiming that he is ready to be a martyr for the cause of legalization, because "it's what I've always wanted to do - make Canada free."

In this situation, though, his grandstanding really does have a ring of truth to it.

For instance, he makes a lot of sense when he says:

"Their [the VPD's] loyalty is to the police establishment first, and Canadians second."

It is hard to blame the cops for the D.E.A. raid on Emery's business, however, as it has been the federal government which has been pushed around by the United States on the marijuana file for years.

Paul Martin has clearly never been behind the decriminalization bill that was tabled by former Justice Minister Martin Cauchon in October, 2003.  Despite his speech of how young Canadians should not have to be tarred for the rest of their lives for a minor possession offence, the bill still sits in limbo nearly two years later.

This is what TDH Strategies wrote on the issue on November 2, 2004, with the results of the U.S. election hanging in the balance:

"November 2, 2004 - For the third time in the past year, the Liberal government has introduced the Jean Chretien era Bill C-17, which will decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use, and implement a system of fines to be issued in the form of tickets.

Now in spite of their delicate minority status, the Liberals better stick to their guns and make sure the proposed legislation is enshrined into law this time, regardless of the ignorant stances that both the NDP and the Tories are taking on the issue."

and:

"TDH Strategies has just one question - who cares what the Americans think on this issue?  Their "war on drugs" mentality has been a complete disaster over the past couple of decades, and has not proven to effectively combat the flow of every  globally available narcotic into their country.  So why would the decriminalization of simple marijuana possession in Canada (with complementary harsher penalties for those financially involved in the drug trade) make any difference in this American border problem?

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler is a very intelligent man, and needs to reign in the fear mongering of the Conservatives and the loosey-goosey attitudes of the NDP to craft a piece of legislation that actually passes through the house this time.

That is, assuming that his own leader Paul Martin doesn't get too spooked by whoever is the President of the United States come tomorrow."

Well it is now very clear that he got spooked.

TDH Strategies encourages all readers to continue to watch this page put up by our friend Jason Cherniak to download the text of a form letter, or more importantly, sign a petition that can be delivered to Parliament in the fall.

This isn't just about pot.  This is about our sovereignty.

August 4, 2005 - To all those new visitors who happened on TDH Strategies for the first time today, welcome.  No, we do not use an RSS feed...yet.  But, until that is corrected, know that this site provides daily commentaries, Monday-Friday, every morning before 9:00am PST. 

And Vancouver Sun columnist Barbara Yaffe sent yet another email, calling us "dishonest," and claiming that "people have their own interests and agendas to promote in depicting other's behaviors."

Well, we'll spare everyone the boredom, and her the embarrassment, by once again choosing not to publish her rant.  Anyone who reads Yaffe regularly, however, knows that she is notorious for picking her targets and unloading potshots at those personalities she deems to be unfavourable.

In this instance, with Mayor/Senator Larry Campbell, it just happens to be a little closer to home, so to speak.

August 4, 2005 - To Barbara Yaffe: while we are not going to publish your whiny emails to this website in response to yesterday's commentary, we are going to call you on your claim that you were not "seeking special favours from the mayor."  Your sense of entitlement, either because of your Dunbar NIMBY attitude or an assumption of self-importance because of your status as a Vancouver Sun columnist (a title, by the way, that many self-respecting journalists would not exactly be bragging about) has been well documented.

August 4, 2005 - TDH Strategies finds this decision by Justice Minister Irwin Cotler unconscionable.  Even worse is the cowardly way he and his staff have gone about addressing the issue to the Canadian public - with silence.

Mr. Cotler has just lost a lot of the respect this website has always held for him.

Once again, we negotiate over many years for the extradition of these two sickos, but leave a seed-seller that goes unprosecuted and virtually unnoticed by Canadian law to face 10 years?

Something is very wrong here.

This is only the beginning of widespread outrage...more tomorrow on a united course of action that is brewing.

August 4, 2005 - Oh...when they say that she stood out, we thought it was because of her glass-shattering nasal voice.

August 3, 2005 - Boy does Barbara Yaffe tear a huge strip off of Senator Larry Campbell in this morning's Vancouver Sun.  And, there are many criticisms contained in her column that Larry is going to have to legitimately defend against.

But don't be mistaken by her furor...this goes back to a personal grudge against the Mayor (read the second letter) after getting rebuked by not receiving special attention for her demands within her neighbourhood.

Now while Larry's new job is not going to make him look like this:

it is still going to require that he goes the extra mile to show people that he will not be another fat cat Senator sitting on his ass.

Again, for this to happen, he has to prove himself to be worthy of a Cabinet post over the next couple of months.  And along the way, there are going to be obstacles.

First and foremost, he is going to face jealousy amongst the less-than-stellar crop of MPs in the BC caucus, namely the useless Stephen Owen and Hedy "I still deserve to be a Minister" Fry.  They are going to pull every trick in the book to block Larry's ascension into the upper reaches of the Liberal hierarchy.

Secondly, Larry is going to need an issue.  And, the best strategy that he can use to stir the pot and show that he will be one of the few activist members of the Red Chamber is taking up the Marc Emery affair and the whole issue of drug policy from the federal point of view.  Larry must come out swinging, and take a lead on this file, as there is no one, particularly the timid Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, who currently has as much credibility to voice a distinct position for Canada by telling the U.S. where to go.

Lastly, Larry has to show that he has the gravitas to bring some of his political capital to the Liberal table.  His name is one thing...but following his occupation of the Mayor's chair, the value of that recognition and relevance becomes a little harder to maintain.  TDH Strategies understands that Larry might not be a "politician," but in the limited viewpoint of Paul Martin, the Mayor needs to exercise his muscles and demonstrate that the Prime Minister's promises about eliminating western alienation is going to rise and fall by the profile and capabilities of Senator Larry Campbell.

Funny enough, for a guy who isn't supposed to be political, he is already doing a better job than any current Liberal Member of Parliament from BC:

"I suspect this has been planned for a long time because he's spent more time doing photo ops for the prime minister, and bashing Conservatives who have been standing up for British Columbia for a decade, than he has been actually doing any good business for the City of Vancouver," said James Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam.)

Campbell, told of Moore's comment, repeated his 2004 election declaration that the Conservatives were "barbarians at the gates," in part because Harper didn't believe in funnelling federal tax dollars directly to municipalities.

"Well, they can expect a lot more of it, because now that I'll be right there I can take a real close look at them, because they are still the barbarians and they're still at the gate."

Get ready Ottawa...Larry's on his way.

August 2, 2005 - UPDATE:  So it is now official - Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell is now Liberal Senator Larry Campbell!

Campbell joins Andrée Champagne of Quebec, Dennis Dawson of Quebec, Hugh Segal of Ontario and Rod Zimmer of Manitoba as the newest members of the Red (Dead?) Chamber.

Anyone who reads the website regularly knows that we are fans of the real life Da Vinci. However, Larry now has the uneviable task of defending his appointment, particularly in consideration of his reputation as a maverick, non-traditional political presence.

The only hope for Larry is if he joins the federal Cabinet when the inevitable shuffle takes place this fall.  Senator Jack Austin of BC is on his way out, and Larry would be a great replacement for him.

We know that Larry's right-hand man Geoff Meggs reads this site from time to time...so here is a message to you, sir:  like my brief to you from last week suggests, the Vancouver Agreement is Larry's ticket to not only a legacy, but real, substantial impact for the city.

This is the path he should be angling himself towards - a portfolio that encompasses responsibility for the VA.

Only time will tell whether Mr. Campell continues along his activist ways, or fades into obscurity within the political slumber known as the Canadian Senate.

TDH Strategies is desperately hoping for the former.

August 2, 2005 - Our friend Jason Cherniak has written an impassioned plea about the arrest of Marc Emery, correctly labelling him as a political prisoner. 

Bottom line, the whole affair should concern every Canadian, premised on this question asked by the Vancouver Sun this morning: 

"How can American authorities orchestrate an arrest of Canadians on their home turf, especially when Canadian law enforcement officials have tolerated Emery's marijuana seed business for years and declined to prosecute?"

If our country can negotiate with the U.S. on the extradition of these two sickos, then our government had better think long and hard before handing over Emery, particularly for a non-offence in Canada.  In fact, he should be able to stay in Canada - without hesitation.

If we buckle to the U.S. on this one, we are endorsing the "War on Drugs" philosophy, which is not the Canadian way.  The D.E.A has to understand that they cannot control drug enforcement in this country, particularly for something as innocuous as this.

So in response to Jason's challenge:

"The Canadian blogsphere had its first big coup with the Grewal Affair. Now is our chance to make another statement. Here and now, I call on all like-minded bloggers to join me in a campaign to save Marc Emery from the horrible fate that is being threatened. He is in jail for his political beliefs. He should be freed."

This website is with you.  Let us know what you have in mind, and how exactly we can help.

August 2, 2005 - Speaking of marijuana, there has been talk from across this country encouraging the Canadian government to regulate, distribute and tax the industry - even from Vancouver's own Mayor Larry Campbell.

But how about this idea - replacing the tobacco companies with governments.

Smoking isn't going to go away - ever.  And while it is slowly but surely becoming a phenomenon of the past, there will always be about 20% of the population that cannot break the habit.

Cynthia Callard, Neil Collishaw and Dave Thompson, authors of Curing the Addiction to Profits are really onto something.  Kudos to all three for opening up this debate, which is timely and appropriate, particularly with the huge strains that will be applied to our health care system over the next 20 years.

August 2, 2005 - Having just travelled to Squamish for business last Friday, and in light of our work with people with disabilities over the past 9 months, this is a feat that completely blows TDH Strategies away.

Kind of puts life's petty challenges into perspective.