325...I Am Glad There Is No Election This Summer

Bob Hepburn in this morning's Toronto Star, not so glad. He lists a half dozen reasons why Michael Ignatieff should have triggered an election this summer, an election that would have made Mikey I. the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Mr. Hepburn thinks that Prime Minister Stephen Harper must be a bus driver because he sure took Mr. Ignatieff to school.

He goes on to list the reasons that Canadians should have gone to the polls this season.

First off, the economy. Last fall the Tories were predicting rosy times and a budget surplus; 8 months later they are now forecasting the largest deficit in Canadian history. Secondly, employment insurance isn't; for example, less than 25 per cent of unemployed workers in Toronto can collect EI benefits. Point three is the claim by the PM that 80 per cent of the infrastructure initiatives promised in the spring budget are already being implemented. No, it is tied up in red tape and will take for freaking ever to hit the streets.

Point four is that the Conservative dominated Parliament is smoke and mirrors. While the country goes to hell in a handbasket the Tories are talking about sending people who grow a couple or three pot pants to jail. While the biggest companies in the country are in the ditch, MPs from all parties are spending their days yelling at each other about lost tape recorders. Mr. Hepburn reports that "...Parliament has not passed a major piece of non-budgetary legislation since the Tories took power in January 2006." That is three and a half years ago. Fifth point ties into number four and it is Stephen Harper's contempt of Parliament. He thinks so little of The House of Commons that he released his economic update last week in Guelph with a phony question-and answer session hosted by Senator Mike Duffy, the former TV hack who brown nosed his way into a cash for life job.

Final point is the attitude towards Toronto. Love it or hate it, Toronto is the centre of our country culturally and economically and has the largest most diverse population. The Tories hate this Tronna. "The most blatant example came last week when Transport Minister John Baird told his aides that Toronto officials who were complaining about Ottawa's slow handling of requests for infrastructure money 'should f--- off.'"

WFDS