Ontario and its Environmental Future

What do you do when you have a country without a climate change policy but because its a federation, certain provinces can break from the national stance.

This is exactly what you see with Premier McGuinty vs. The Federal Government. In recent days there has been much discussion as to why Prime Minister Stephen Harper is not following the rest of the G8 in going to the UN climate change summit. Harper has repeatly refused to state the nations position on the climate change issue, noting that in a time of economic recession when Canada must do what is necessary for its citizens to get jobs and succeed, it would be reckless and irresponsible for him to make a promise that would cost the country billions.

Yet what is the federal governments deal with interfering with the provinces trying to go green or participate. Basically in my opinion the federal government doesn't want to be upstaged by the provinces who are trying to make a commitment to be green. In the following Toronto Star Article its clear that this is what harper is trying to do.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/730017--don-t-steal-ontario-s-green-gains-mcguinty-warns-ottawa

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/730233--ontario-must-get-to-keep-emissions-credits-mcguinty

Also Mcguinty is in a fierce argument with the federal government over its ability to keep emission credits and if its a viable system. Again my opinion is that any attempt to be environmentally friendly and move towards a green economy should be used and tried and what ever is found to work will eventually work.

We must be doing more to green our economy and find viable alternatives to the current pollution making energy systems that are in place today. and we must do this soon.

Ontario PC walk out over HST

So, last night the Ontario conservative party walked off the legislative floor, the main reasoning of Conservative Leader Tim Hudak? The government has not listened to Ontarians concerning the proposed Harmonized Sales tax, Hudak is asking for full public meetings which allow the public to participate, Premier Mcguinty is pushing forward.

First of all to all Ontario politicians, grow up all of you! That was the most immature thing i have ever seen, the Leader of the Opposition and his party leave in a PRE PLANNED walk out. Note to self Tim: Pre Planned is note a walk out, its a PUBLICITY STUNT. I can see the point of the entire party walking out, especially if they are asking questions and then they get a bad answer or none at all and there is a spur of the moment leading of the party out. That is fine and acceptable but to plan a walk out, in my opinion a walk out on democracy then thats just ridiculous. You were elected to represent the people of Ontario. Sit your ass in your seat and represent.

To the Premier. I am as Liberal as the rest of them. Your letting Tim use lies and fear to bring the people of Ontario against you. Public hearings are sorry to say the truest form of Democracy because of the fact that it again brings the electorate in to the process. Yet there is a key issue, just like one that is with the voter assembly. When you move to ask the opinion of the general electorate in a move to be more open and democratic. You then open yourself and your issue up to manipulation and attack by those who on the far end of the other spectrum severely oppose them.

I can totally understand why Mcguinty does not wish to hold public hearings, because as much as Tim is a good man, as a politician I know he could not bite his tongue at the opportunity to smear McGuinty and the liberals rather then let a real process of discussion happen to determine if the people of Ontario really do support an HST without the manipulation and slander of the opposition.

This is greater to politics today. Rather then doing real research or investigation and putting

Dalton Days and Legitimizing Bob Rae 16 years later.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/mcguinty/article/721403---dalton-days-premier-likes-the-sound-of-that

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In 1993 the people of Ontario choose to intrust Bob Rae with the first NDP government to the west of Sask. ever. Partly out of anger with rival parties, but at the same time, there had to of been some reason as to why Rae was successful. Today Rae is considered a Canadian diplomat and Statesman. He is internationally recognized and respected for his ability to solve foreign affair issues.

Rae had some very interesting ideas, only problem....a recision at the end of the 1980's that dragged into the early 1990's put a unique twist on how and what was to now be implemented by the new NDP government. With a rising deficit and rising costs, Rae choose to go the route of freezing public sector pay and setting certain unpaid leave days aside that those workers would be required to take. Rae was met with a major backlash, his planned "Rae Days" being the core of the animosity in the province. And eventually in 1994 Mike Harris swept to control.

Here we are though 19 years later in similar circumstances. We are just bottoming out a medium level recession. Unemployment is at a high and Ontario is facing a ballooning deficit. The Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty is looking for any and all solutions to the rising government spending and to reign the deficit back into control. Ontarians are making less, yet the Public Sector workers of the province are in there own bubble, making the same as they typically would while others are suffering. The Premier has not begun to suggest that he is highly considering resurrecting the tactics of Rae. McGuinty is now suggesting that a pay freeze is required and unpaid days off are the solution to our money troubles.

If this happens, as it seems it will, in my opinion will totally legitimize Bob Rae and his actions back in the 1990s. You know what i think its time just to let this whole hate for Rae die. The people of Ontario have railed and bitched about Bob Rae for the past 16 years cracking jokes and belittling a Canadian patriot. Even when Rae was premier he was more liberal then NDP so when he joined the liberals it was abundantly clear that he would fall easily into place.

The issues of governing a province are vast and many, and by singling out a single solution that is again now being suggested as legitimate shows its time to let this hate for Rae go. McGuinty knows that we are in major trouble financially and in his mind its only fair to bring the Public Sector inline with the rest of the provincial wages. Thats fine. The reason you see this backlash is because, the backlash is coming from those whose wages are getting cut. If your a public sector employee...look your paid with our taxes, so take a breather and relax, take your days off and do something fun, you deserve a vacation.

We have to control government spending and reign in that deficit. If freezing the wages of those paid with tax dollars is a solution, then CONSIDER IT. The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, and many Ontario citizens are suffering financially, we must fix this.

With McGuinty considering and more then likely instituting a policy that was fashioned by Bob Rae I can no longer see any reason for anyone to bitch and complain about those Rae Days from the 1990s, it was a long time ago lets move forward. As for McGuinty, trust the man he is an elected official with vast experience and maybe he does know what he's doing.

Its time we move away from the issues of the past and look to the future for solutions of how we can fix the problems. They affect all of us and we must work together to fix them.

Crash and Dash, Why MPP's Are NOT Above the Law

So the Toronto Star, printed an article on October 26th and October 27th (Today) about the recent troubles of Toronto Area MPP Dr. Kudip S. Kular. Dr. Kudip has recently had a run in with the authorities after he was involved in a motor-vechical accident and struck a patron crossing the road, whom had the right of way.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/716562--witness-says-mpp-panicked-and-bolted?bn=1

After exiting his car and verifying that the person was OK, Dr. Kudip vacated the scene before the police arrived. What is funny is that as he was driving away he was going to have to consider the fact that he is a famous face in his riding, especially when you strike someone with your car around the corner from your own residence. So he was going to have to realize he was going to get caught. The man he left was severely bruised from the incident and the "doctor" still left.

This brings up the often discussed issue of politicians and the law. Especially after the recent incident with former Attorney General Michael Bryant and the Bike Messenger.

As many politicians tend to thing, they are not above the law. Many expect those they elect to have some principles and ethics concerning how they conduct themselves as people and elected representatives. We expect our elected leaders to be of the utmost honour, yet this demand for a higher standard has somewhat disappeared. And we have been content not to demand that it exist.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/712590--bryant-anxious-to-move-case-along-lawyer-says

You see many political scandals in nations all around the world today yet you hardly ever see a politician own up for there mistakes and stand by some principles. In the time of 24/7/365 Media it is quite impossible for a major incident to fall to the way side and it does not matter how far down the list of backbench MPP's you are, if something has gone wrong and you have committed a crime it will be found.

It be nice that in this day and age we restored some of the old school politics back into the legislature and started to see your leaders and representatives actually stand for something today.

RECENT E HEALTH

So, in a semester where one decides to take a class on Ontario government, a major government spending scandal decides to make itself known. I am a Liberal, i've ran elections, but even i can see that there was certain things done wrong here, especially if David Caplan, a respected Minister and Ontario politician had to resign. Yet it was not entirley his fault, and with George Smitherman going to run for mayor of Toronto, can the Premiers choice really clean up the issues at hand at the Health Ministry?