UPDATE: Yesterday, Andrew Sheer did the right thing and announced that he was stepping down as the Leader of the Conservative Party. Although I agree with his decision as per below, I am yet saddened by it...Politics is a dirty albeit interesting business. Now the real fun begins. Many pundits are already predicting that a large number of candidates will seek the Tory Crown and moreover, that the Tories are most likely to beat Trudeau when the dust from the next election settles. Not so fast say I. The majority of those pundits are predicting that the Party will move further left so rather than the Liberal Lite Party we now have...my words...the Tory Party will be full-fledged Liberal. So what does one gain when one sells out? Stay Tuned.
I say this with a certain amount of sadness since I believe Mr. Sheer is just too nice for politics. As I have told my wife on several occasions (to her chagrin, she is my sounding board), Speakers of the House, do not usually make good Leaders. The only exception might be the retiring Speaker of the British House, but it is a sure thing, we'll ever know that for sure.
At this point, for his own well-being and that of his family's, he should resign and perhaps he could even do so on his own terms which I will come to shortly.
My wife and I both had votes for the Leadership Contest that saw Sheer win in May of 2017. Neither one of us voted for him despite his apparent Social Conservative credentials and this in spite of the fact that we are both strongly of that persuasion. We simply believed, even then, that he was too weak & too silent on the social issues of concern to us both.
So why, so close to the end of this October's Canadian General Election, do I believe he needs to go??
Simply stated, he ran a very poor campaign. If you cannot beat Justin Trudeau after his first term of miscues and shenanigans...it just ain't going to happen.
Related to this, is the fact that no-one supports him ....not the Social Conservatives, not the Red Tories, and certainly none of Society's Progressives which make up between 65 and 70 % of the voting public. The way I have it figured is that Andrew may be able to count on his family voting in his favour at this coming April's Leadership. Okay, I exaggerate a bit but you get the idea.
If I was advising Andrew Sheer I would encourage him to resign but to insist that he stay on as Interim Leader until a successor has been voted in at at full blown Leadership Convention. I would also insist that that Leadership Contest be delayed as long a possible to help ensure that some good candidates come out of the woodwork. Too often quick Leadership Contests results in limited ...B and C level contestants. The Tories are in desperate need of an A Leader. John Baird and Pierre Poilievre come readily to mind. But delay is needed in case there are others of that ilk.
Admittedly, these decisions do not rest with the Leader of the Party but rather with the Party President and if I was that person, I'd take the offer. A failed Leadership vote in April would only expose more division and embitterment throughout the Party. And it would be a win / win for both Sheer and the Party. Sheer is young and has lots of years left to serve the Party and our Country in Parliament. And he is not the type to pose a threat to whomever comes out victorious. Sort of like another Joe Clark but even better. And he'd make a great Party Statesman.
So say the Tories get a good Leader...how should he / she lead?
Well is it not obvious? With up to 70% of the voting public left of centre - of course you would want to move the Tories to the left as well ....indeed this is what past Tory Leaders have done consistently including, Stanfield, Clark, Mulroney, Harper and currently Sheer. The only trouble with this very sensible approach is that it does not work. More government intervention, more debt, issues of genuine import get ignored with the unelected courts only too glad to step in to fill the void.
We need a truly Conservative Government. Small Government, Balance Budgets, and Social Issues such as open season on Abortion get addressed. For instance, in the case of the latter, a reasonable term limit could, I believe, be negotiated such as 3 or 4 months. With modern birth control there is absolutely no reason a baby can be aborted right up until the time of birth and sadly despite the denial of left radicals, this does happen. In this atrocity we are right up there with the North Korea and Red China.
We also need a society consisting of more givers / more doers and less takers. That is what made the West Great and that is why billions around the world are so anxious to reach our shores. Sadly though and by example of our resident progressives, immigrants and refugees are now too often coming to receive rather than contribute. And who can blame them! Religion is under attack, Capitalism is discredited despite the fact that is has literally raised billions out of poverty. We have become morally bankrupt and the world economy is listless and heading down.
So how did we get here? Well in the case of Canada, The Right - Conservatives and Libertarians have failed to sell the need for values at the core of Conservatism, Rather they have adopted Liberalism over the course of the last 50 years so no wonder the electorate has been brainwashed wth liberal / progressive thinking.
The Right needs to finally enter the debate and I can assure each and every one of you that the task will not be an easy one. In fact, we will likely suffer more defeats along the way but at least - at long last - the voter will be given a real choice. Less Big Government, more Independence and we can do this with our heads held high in the knowledge that Socialism Simply Does Not Work !
The only country left where the battle between left and right continues is the United States of America but the division lines are split 50 / 50. Unless the world's democracies get their respective acts together the day is quickly coming when we will see American numbers reflect our own miserable figures.
Here in Canada we need to get started and the opportunity for that begins with the Tory Leadership Vote in April.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019
TEACHERS
My most recent post was not about Teachers...this one though most certainly is.
I cannot recall any teacher I did not like...well maybe there was one - he liked to fire his male students across the class-room floor. Indeed in some cases I even love them - my daughter Natalie, my Sister Linda and he son...my nephew... Michael. With not a biased bone in my body I can say all three were (my Sister is retired) or are, great at their chosen profession and their students were / are lucky to be taught by them.
And all of us no doubt have our favourites from our school days. I have three -my grade 6 teacher - Robert 'Bob' Raymond, my grade 9 english teacher Miss Joanne Jones and my grade 11 geography teacher Nancy Stantial. In the case of the latter, at a parent-teacher evening she told my parents that I was most definitely "university material" and being that no one in my family had ever gone to university her statement had a greater impact on me than she could ever imagine.
Bob Raymond was nothing but a character ...from Toronto, fresh out of Teachers' College. For instance, he would hand out detentions like they were going out of style and then permit the offenders to work them off by picking pick weeds in the playground. Our Public School had the most weed-free lawns around. He also roamed quietly around the classroom with a pointer and would sneak up on the unsuspecting student who exhibited poor posture. A sharp stab in the victim's back was all it took. Can you imagine what would have happened to this novice teacher had he tried to do that in today's progressive environment?
And Miss Jones had the ability to read passages from varied literary offerings that would take the listener directly into those pages. What a gift. It was most certainly the beginning of this sport's minded boy's interest in the beauty of literature.
I have never asked my Daughter or my Nephew who their favourite teachers were but will be sure to do so when I see them next. I do though believe I know who was my Sister's or at least who one of them was ...Ms McAuley ... her kindergarten teacher. Am I right Linda?
And you know what - I don't even know my wife's favourite. Better get on that a.s.a.p.
Anyway the bottom-line here is that Teachers perform a very great service to society and even they I suspect, do not always realize what a positive lasting impact they have on the lives of their students.
A Sincere Thank You From The Bottom Of My Heart To You All !!!
Now for a humourous story ...or Not.
In my day, grades 7 thru and including grade 9 were the most eventful and dramatic. Blame it on hormones, if you will.
So here I am sitting in Mrs. Gibson's Grade 8 Class minding my own business when all of a sudden I was hit by a flying piece of chalk or an erasure.
I looked around and there with a big smirk on his face was the Class Troublemaker (C.T.). I won't name him to save the guilty but I suspect my childhood friend Johnny will quickly know who this culprit was.. Of even greater note, C.T. was the first in our class to refuse to stand for God Save The Queen, an essential part of the day's opening. I was shocked more with that than with the chalk...but I digress.
Anyway, I picked up the chalk and was just about ready to fire it back at him when Mrs. Gibson yelled "STOP"...and I did. This was the same woman who could not catch a cold in mid-January but she caught me that morning. C.T. was beside himself with guffaws and what should have been over in a matter of minutes...was not. It went on for months.
Permit me to explain:
Johnny and I grew up in a small town where everyone and I mean everyone, knew everyone else. As it happened then, Mrs. Gibson's son was married to my father's secretary and for the next several months the 'chalk throwing incident' was the prime talk at our table. Well you would have thought I had punched C.T. out ...which between you and me I could have easily done.
In closing, if you have any reminisces about how your teacher(s) positively affected you or any humourous stories from your day to day classroom life, please just let me know and I will try to cover them in one of my future blogs.
In the meantime,
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
I cannot recall any teacher I did not like...well maybe there was one - he liked to fire his male students across the class-room floor. Indeed in some cases I even love them - my daughter Natalie, my Sister Linda and he son...my nephew... Michael. With not a biased bone in my body I can say all three were (my Sister is retired) or are, great at their chosen profession and their students were / are lucky to be taught by them.
And all of us no doubt have our favourites from our school days. I have three -my grade 6 teacher - Robert 'Bob' Raymond, my grade 9 english teacher Miss Joanne Jones and my grade 11 geography teacher Nancy Stantial. In the case of the latter, at a parent-teacher evening she told my parents that I was most definitely "university material" and being that no one in my family had ever gone to university her statement had a greater impact on me than she could ever imagine.
Bob Raymond was nothing but a character ...from Toronto, fresh out of Teachers' College. For instance, he would hand out detentions like they were going out of style and then permit the offenders to work them off by picking pick weeds in the playground. Our Public School had the most weed-free lawns around. He also roamed quietly around the classroom with a pointer and would sneak up on the unsuspecting student who exhibited poor posture. A sharp stab in the victim's back was all it took. Can you imagine what would have happened to this novice teacher had he tried to do that in today's progressive environment?
And Miss Jones had the ability to read passages from varied literary offerings that would take the listener directly into those pages. What a gift. It was most certainly the beginning of this sport's minded boy's interest in the beauty of literature.
I have never asked my Daughter or my Nephew who their favourite teachers were but will be sure to do so when I see them next. I do though believe I know who was my Sister's or at least who one of them was ...Ms McAuley ... her kindergarten teacher. Am I right Linda?
And you know what - I don't even know my wife's favourite. Better get on that a.s.a.p.
Anyway the bottom-line here is that Teachers perform a very great service to society and even they I suspect, do not always realize what a positive lasting impact they have on the lives of their students.
A Sincere Thank You From The Bottom Of My Heart To You All !!!
Now for a humourous story ...or Not.
In my day, grades 7 thru and including grade 9 were the most eventful and dramatic. Blame it on hormones, if you will.
So here I am sitting in Mrs. Gibson's Grade 8 Class minding my own business when all of a sudden I was hit by a flying piece of chalk or an erasure.
I looked around and there with a big smirk on his face was the Class Troublemaker (C.T.). I won't name him to save the guilty but I suspect my childhood friend Johnny will quickly know who this culprit was.. Of even greater note, C.T. was the first in our class to refuse to stand for God Save The Queen, an essential part of the day's opening. I was shocked more with that than with the chalk...but I digress.
Anyway, I picked up the chalk and was just about ready to fire it back at him when Mrs. Gibson yelled "STOP"...and I did. This was the same woman who could not catch a cold in mid-January but she caught me that morning. C.T. was beside himself with guffaws and what should have been over in a matter of minutes...was not. It went on for months.
Permit me to explain:
Johnny and I grew up in a small town where everyone and I mean everyone, knew everyone else. As it happened then, Mrs. Gibson's son was married to my father's secretary and for the next several months the 'chalk throwing incident' was the prime talk at our table. Well you would have thought I had punched C.T. out ...which between you and me I could have easily done.
In closing, if you have any reminisces about how your teacher(s) positively affected you or any humourous stories from your day to day classroom life, please just let me know and I will try to cover them in one of my future blogs.
In the meantime,
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Monday, November 25, 2019
Ontario Teachers and Their Unions
"We're Doing It For The Children"
At least that's what the Teachers' Unions continue to peddle to us, however this Blog is neither about the Unions nor the Teachers, as you are about to see shortly.
For the life of me though it is most difficult to understand why their Unions seem always to be be on Strike or Threatening To Do So and it makes no never-mind which Party is running the Shop at Queen's Park.
Lately all 4 Major Teachers' Unions fall into either the above categories and in every case, their Teacher Members have voted in the high 90%s to go on Strike. Their major Unions include the following: i) The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation; ii) Ontario Elementary Teachers' Union; iii) the Ontario English-Catholic Teachers' Union and finally iv) the Ontario French-language Teachers' Union). Would you not think that one Union or two at the most would suffice? No wonder then at least one of them seems to be on strike at any given time.
Anyway, things must be very bleak in Mudville for Ontario Teachers to support Strike Action in those high numbers.
But you have to wonder why: Ontario Teachers' Salaries are most generous, so are their Benefits and their Pensions ...so what is fostering such discontent.
Well my guess is that this labour unrest is causd by the Unions themselves. And, if I was Premier, I would outlaw them ...not only on the basis that Teaching is an Essential Service but more importantly, in these Strikes and Threatened Strikes, no one has the interest of the Taxpayer at heart. So we have the Unions never satisfied and the Politicians willing to spend any amount of taxpayer money just for labour peace. Do you ever stop and think what a politician might do if he or she had their own salary at stake in these labour negotiations?
But again and despite the Title of this Blog, my effort here is not about Teachers' Unions nor is it even about Teachers' Benefits; it is about a much more important issue.
The Elephant in the Room aka the Major Problem Facing Education Today is with respect to the make-up of the classes...and not class sizes, as the above Unions would have you to believe.
The Unions call it Inclusion as do many so-called experts in education but I call it bogus Progressive Thinking gone mad. (note: those self same persons would likely refer to me as Right Wing Thinking gone mad and I am okay with that). So it is up to you the Reader to decide who has the better handle on this.
And just to be clear, I am not talking about disabled students per se, rather I am referring to those children who have Marked Learning Disabilities or are Prone To Causing Disruption. Such 'inclusion' in my opinion makes it impossible for the majority of students to effectively learn their studies. It does no good for the minority as well. Although my search on the internet finds many who agree with the Progressive Thinkers, there is an equal number out there who agree with me.
Let's look at the rising number of physical attacks on teachers by their students ...beginning as young as kindergarten. Below is a passage I found on line authored by the Gates Foundation substantiating this:
Behavior issues that interfere with teaching and learning have notably worsened, according to an astonishing 62 percent of teachers who have been teaching in the same school for five or more years. The results were reported in Primary Sources: America’s Teachers on the Teaching Profession. The report, recently released by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shows that the increased level of behavior problems has been seen across grade levels: 68 percent of elementary teachers, 64 percent of middle school teachers, and 53 percent of high school teachers say the same.
No wonder our schools are falling behind when it comes to trying to teach basic subjects like math and science.
So what is causing the problem ?...One of the major reasons is that the Teachers' Unions and their Progressive Supporters are deliberately failing to flag this obvious fault. And our children - all of our children, are suffering accordingly.
I say that because if classes were to be homogenized with children of comparable intellect and mental well-being, all would learn more effectively and at a faster rate. This is simply common sense.
But please do not think that I am suggesting for a minute that those with intellectual or mental health issues be thrown under the bus. Hardly!! My motto in life is leave no one behind, since to do otherwise would not only be wrong for economic reasons, it would simply be inhumane. We need everyone on board, happy and contributing to ensure our Society is Just and Works for All.
Resources need to be made available to students to ensure that they learn at their own speed and where appropriate, receive the mental health that is otherwise not available to them.
Call or write to your School Boards and to your Politicians to right this obvious wrong.
At least that's what the Teachers' Unions continue to peddle to us, however this Blog is neither about the Unions nor the Teachers, as you are about to see shortly.
For the life of me though it is most difficult to understand why their Unions seem always to be be on Strike or Threatening To Do So and it makes no never-mind which Party is running the Shop at Queen's Park.
Lately all 4 Major Teachers' Unions fall into either the above categories and in every case, their Teacher Members have voted in the high 90%s to go on Strike. Their major Unions include the following: i) The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation; ii) Ontario Elementary Teachers' Union; iii) the Ontario English-Catholic Teachers' Union and finally iv) the Ontario French-language Teachers' Union). Would you not think that one Union or two at the most would suffice? No wonder then at least one of them seems to be on strike at any given time.
Anyway, things must be very bleak in Mudville for Ontario Teachers to support Strike Action in those high numbers.
But you have to wonder why: Ontario Teachers' Salaries are most generous, so are their Benefits and their Pensions ...so what is fostering such discontent.
Well my guess is that this labour unrest is causd by the Unions themselves. And, if I was Premier, I would outlaw them ...not only on the basis that Teaching is an Essential Service but more importantly, in these Strikes and Threatened Strikes, no one has the interest of the Taxpayer at heart. So we have the Unions never satisfied and the Politicians willing to spend any amount of taxpayer money just for labour peace. Do you ever stop and think what a politician might do if he or she had their own salary at stake in these labour negotiations?
But again and despite the Title of this Blog, my effort here is not about Teachers' Unions nor is it even about Teachers' Benefits; it is about a much more important issue.
The Elephant in the Room aka the Major Problem Facing Education Today is with respect to the make-up of the classes...and not class sizes, as the above Unions would have you to believe.
The Unions call it Inclusion as do many so-called experts in education but I call it bogus Progressive Thinking gone mad. (note: those self same persons would likely refer to me as Right Wing Thinking gone mad and I am okay with that). So it is up to you the Reader to decide who has the better handle on this.
And just to be clear, I am not talking about disabled students per se, rather I am referring to those children who have Marked Learning Disabilities or are Prone To Causing Disruption. Such 'inclusion' in my opinion makes it impossible for the majority of students to effectively learn their studies. It does no good for the minority as well. Although my search on the internet finds many who agree with the Progressive Thinkers, there is an equal number out there who agree with me.
Let's look at the rising number of physical attacks on teachers by their students ...beginning as young as kindergarten. Below is a passage I found on line authored by the Gates Foundation substantiating this:
Behavior issues that interfere with teaching and learning have notably worsened, according to an astonishing 62 percent of teachers who have been teaching in the same school for five or more years. The results were reported in Primary Sources: America’s Teachers on the Teaching Profession. The report, recently released by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shows that the increased level of behavior problems has been seen across grade levels: 68 percent of elementary teachers, 64 percent of middle school teachers, and 53 percent of high school teachers say the same.
No wonder our schools are falling behind when it comes to trying to teach basic subjects like math and science.
So what is causing the problem ?...One of the major reasons is that the Teachers' Unions and their Progressive Supporters are deliberately failing to flag this obvious fault. And our children - all of our children, are suffering accordingly.
I say that because if classes were to be homogenized with children of comparable intellect and mental well-being, all would learn more effectively and at a faster rate. This is simply common sense.
But please do not think that I am suggesting for a minute that those with intellectual or mental health issues be thrown under the bus. Hardly!! My motto in life is leave no one behind, since to do otherwise would not only be wrong for economic reasons, it would simply be inhumane. We need everyone on board, happy and contributing to ensure our Society is Just and Works for All.
Resources need to be made available to students to ensure that they learn at their own speed and where appropriate, receive the mental health that is otherwise not available to them.
Call or write to your School Boards and to your Politicians to right this obvious wrong.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Reduced To Minority Status & The Young Woman At The Back Of The Room
Okay, let's take a look at how the Trudeau Liberals went from Majority Status to Minority Status in last month's Canadian Federal Election and what this means for him in the days and months ahead.
Let's begin by noting that the Election Results were not the least bit surprising since the Liberal policies and stumbles over his 4 year term of Majority Government were disastrous as evidenced by the following: he reneged on his promise to reform the Electoral Process; he introduced the very unpopular Carbon Tax; and related to that, was anti-oil- pipeline, he interfered with Canada's Judicial System when, behind close doors, he came to the aid of a company by the name of Lavelin...based in Quebec and successfully charged in the past with illicit business practices including bribery; he dumped two his most popular female Members of Parliament both of whom had been shining stars in his Cabinet; he was the hapless subject of the Kokanee Grope (for you non-Canadians who do not have a clue what that all entails I urge you to look it up on-line); and of course he admitted during the recent campaign that he has worn 'black-face' at least 3 times in the past.
There is more I could include but the ones mentioned are, I believe, sufficient to show why the Canadian Electorate punished Trudeau by taking away his Majority.
I see a hand up at the back - yes, the Young Lady in the Mauve Shirt has a question.
Not a question per se but rather a comment....What you have said is simply not true, Trudeau was brought down by the Province of Quebec voting in 37 Separatists to the BLOC Quebec Party.
You make an excellent point, indeed when I think about it, the Bloc won only 10 seats in the previous election so in this past election they won 27 more and if Trudeau had secured those seats, as many thought he would, he would have easily maintained his Majority Government. (There are 338 seats or members in Canada's new Parliament, the Liberals took 157 Liberal, and if they had won another 27 in Quebec, it would have given him 184 seats whereas he only needed 170 for a Majority.)
But permit me to ask the young lady in the back if any of the failures I noted had a negative influence on the Quebec Voters who voted for the Bloc rather than traditionally voting Liberal?
Not at all, what was at issue was Quebec's notorious Bill 21 which discriminates against the public wearing of any religious symbols such as a cross, yarmulke or hijab including while working in government jobs. Polling shows that up to 70% of Quebecois' support this most discriminatory law and quite correctly although none of the federal parties came out in support of the Bill, save for the Bloc. Sadly none came out strongly or vocally enough against it either.
Good Point.
Okay so let's now get back to the subject at hand namely, what does this new Minority Status have in store for the Governing Liberals.
Well first and foremost it means, as in the past, that the Trudeau Government is not likely to survive more than 18 months...2 years at the most, before the other parties gang up and bring it down with their superior numbers. Remember , the numbers we are dealing with - 338 seats in the House, less 157 held by the Liberals, leaves 181 outstanding against them. That 181 can come together any time they want to force the Trudeau Liberal's out of Office but they will likely hold off a year or two before they do, as is per convention (i.e it takes any Party time to gear up for another Election).
Oh, Oh, I see the Young Woman's hand up again. You have another point you wish to raise?
Yes I do, but I don't think you are going to like it. I say that because what you have just said is also wrong. I agree with you that usually minority governments last but a short time but this time Trudeau can count on his mandate lasting at least 3 years and even up to 4 years... the latter being the expiry of his term. I say that because the Progressives Parties in the House, which include the Liberals, are not about to bring a fellow Progressive Party down. The Progressive majority is but a reflection of Canadian Society itself which is 65 to 70 per cent of that persuasion.
Well thank you again for that; I must admit that you once again make good sense. So given what you have just said, we can safely assume that Canada will not be plunged into another General Election for the next several years.
Hardly, since just because the Liberals will not be forced into an early Election does not for a minute mean that there will not be one. In the best traditions of the former Liberal Prime Minister Chretien, Trudeau himself will be looking hard for an opportunity to pull the plug...and by that I mean, if the Polls show him that he can likely win back a Majority he will be on it like fleas on a dog, so to speak regardless of the timing.
I get the feeling young lady that you and I should trade places since it appears to me that you have this all figured out and for the life of me, I cannot see where you are wrong.
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Q
#s of seats before and after....??
Let's begin by noting that the Election Results were not the least bit surprising since the Liberal policies and stumbles over his 4 year term of Majority Government were disastrous as evidenced by the following: he reneged on his promise to reform the Electoral Process; he introduced the very unpopular Carbon Tax; and related to that, was anti-oil- pipeline, he interfered with Canada's Judicial System when, behind close doors, he came to the aid of a company by the name of Lavelin...based in Quebec and successfully charged in the past with illicit business practices including bribery; he dumped two his most popular female Members of Parliament both of whom had been shining stars in his Cabinet; he was the hapless subject of the Kokanee Grope (for you non-Canadians who do not have a clue what that all entails I urge you to look it up on-line); and of course he admitted during the recent campaign that he has worn 'black-face' at least 3 times in the past.
There is more I could include but the ones mentioned are, I believe, sufficient to show why the Canadian Electorate punished Trudeau by taking away his Majority.
I see a hand up at the back - yes, the Young Lady in the Mauve Shirt has a question.
Not a question per se but rather a comment....What you have said is simply not true, Trudeau was brought down by the Province of Quebec voting in 37 Separatists to the BLOC Quebec Party.
You make an excellent point, indeed when I think about it, the Bloc won only 10 seats in the previous election so in this past election they won 27 more and if Trudeau had secured those seats, as many thought he would, he would have easily maintained his Majority Government. (There are 338 seats or members in Canada's new Parliament, the Liberals took 157 Liberal, and if they had won another 27 in Quebec, it would have given him 184 seats whereas he only needed 170 for a Majority.)
But permit me to ask the young lady in the back if any of the failures I noted had a negative influence on the Quebec Voters who voted for the Bloc rather than traditionally voting Liberal?
Not at all, what was at issue was Quebec's notorious Bill 21 which discriminates against the public wearing of any religious symbols such as a cross, yarmulke or hijab including while working in government jobs. Polling shows that up to 70% of Quebecois' support this most discriminatory law and quite correctly although none of the federal parties came out in support of the Bill, save for the Bloc. Sadly none came out strongly or vocally enough against it either.
Good Point.
Okay so let's now get back to the subject at hand namely, what does this new Minority Status have in store for the Governing Liberals.
Well first and foremost it means, as in the past, that the Trudeau Government is not likely to survive more than 18 months...2 years at the most, before the other parties gang up and bring it down with their superior numbers. Remember , the numbers we are dealing with - 338 seats in the House, less 157 held by the Liberals, leaves 181 outstanding against them. That 181 can come together any time they want to force the Trudeau Liberal's out of Office but they will likely hold off a year or two before they do, as is per convention (i.e it takes any Party time to gear up for another Election).
Oh, Oh, I see the Young Woman's hand up again. You have another point you wish to raise?
Yes I do, but I don't think you are going to like it. I say that because what you have just said is also wrong. I agree with you that usually minority governments last but a short time but this time Trudeau can count on his mandate lasting at least 3 years and even up to 4 years... the latter being the expiry of his term. I say that because the Progressives Parties in the House, which include the Liberals, are not about to bring a fellow Progressive Party down. The Progressive majority is but a reflection of Canadian Society itself which is 65 to 70 per cent of that persuasion.
Well thank you again for that; I must admit that you once again make good sense. So given what you have just said, we can safely assume that Canada will not be plunged into another General Election for the next several years.
Hardly, since just because the Liberals will not be forced into an early Election does not for a minute mean that there will not be one. In the best traditions of the former Liberal Prime Minister Chretien, Trudeau himself will be looking hard for an opportunity to pull the plug...and by that I mean, if the Polls show him that he can likely win back a Majority he will be on it like fleas on a dog, so to speak regardless of the timing.
I get the feeling young lady that you and I should trade places since it appears to me that you have this all figured out and for the life of me, I cannot see where you are wrong.
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Q
#s of seats before and after....??
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
I'm Back: 3 Heart Stoppages Later and since my last Blog on 21.06.19, Donald Trump still commands the News.
You read that correctly, I had 3 heart stoppages over the course of this past July and August and have been in the hospital close to 6 weeks and owe my life to my son Scott and to our good friend Kristen ...a CPR Instructor and to the health care teams at the Bomanville and Oshawa Hospitals and to the renowned Heart Institute in Ottawa.
Thank you everyone!!
Now back to Trump and the latest... the Impeachment Inquiry.
But first, let me remind everyone that the story surrounding the Donald back in June was the Mueller investigation about purported Russian Influence in the 2016 Presidential Election. Fortunately for Trump, and no surprise to me, it all came to naught.
So the Dems are now coming at Him in a different way ...via the Impeachment Process. Again another bogus, hollow claim that will hurt the Democrats far more than the Republicans.
That said, I am not a Trump fan indeed I believe the guy has been a disaster - his Trade Tantrums, Isolationists Views, and treating US Friends like Dirt while Praising the Bullies and the Dictators.
The only thing I support him on is with respect to The Wall - a country that cannot control the inflow of illegal refugees is not a country within the meaning of the Webster Dictionary.
So I fully agree with those who believe that for the sake of all, the Trumper needs to go !
But the fly in the ointment is the fact that there is no one and I mean no one on the scene who has the needed qualities to replace him. Much like our Election in October, Justin Trudeau got in because there were no viable alternatives.
What complicates the situation in the States is the fact that it is split right down the middle - Conservatives on the Right and Progressives on the Left...50/50. There are too few Moderates in the Middle which likely means that when the Dems stop their infighting, their numbers for next November's Presidential Election will be reduced enough to allow the Donald another four years in office.
Quelle Dommage you might say to which I would respond ...Yes and No.
The fact of the matter is regardless of what a disaster Trump has been in Office, he does not deserve the Treatment he has received from the Progressive and more to the point, from the Left Wing Media.
But permit me to restate that: Democracy does not deserve the treatment it has received...
With the Ballots barely dry from the November 2016 Election, the Left Wing Media and Progressives combined to try to destroy the Presidency with any and all means possible. Simply stated, they could not stomach the outcome and were and continue to be determined to nullify what the Electorate had wrought.
The Progressive Left has done such a great job of this that I truly believe American Politics will never be the same in our lifetime. It used to be that when a Party was unsuccessful at the polls, their numbers would roll up their sleeves and undertake publicly that their Party would do better next time. Not anymore.
Now back specifically to the current Impeachment fiasco.
It purports to be about the President's conversation with the Head of Ukraine and Trump's alleged blackmail of the latter to get the 'goods' on a son of Democratic Contender Joe Biden. Biden's son, it is claimed by some, was involved in shady busy practices that took place in the Ukraine.
To which I respond so what. The Dems have already admitted to having done similar investigations against Trump with Russia and besides, I fervently believe the President, as the highest politico in the world, should be able to count on his conversations with other world leaders being confidential. I heard it said that in a meeting with Putin, Trump is alleged to have said, 'dear Vladimir don't worry if Russian interfered with our 2016 Election since our Country is the world's worse offender by far' and of course he is right. A most recent case in point is our October Election just past where Liberal heavies have stated publicly that without former President Obama's intervention on their candidates behalf they would not have one. Not a word of criticism from the Left Wing Media or America's Progressives.
It is all nonsense with the danger that it will only serves to help Donald Trump win another 4 years in office - which again is not what I personally want to see happen.
But what makes this all so futile is the fact that in order to complete a successful Impeachment it requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a body which consists of a majority of Republicans so the chances if such happening range from nil to not likely.
And one last comment. It was not long ago that a President...Bill Clinton... was deservedly Impeached in the House of Representatives but it failed in the Senate. His crime, he had sex, despite his denial of same, in Oval Office with a vulnerable intern. I still can hear his words these many years later, as I suspect you can too - "I did not have sex with that woman". He threw her under the bus all the while Dear President Clinton being a card carrying Democrat.
That was where a charge of Impeachment was warranted: not though in the case at hand.
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Thank you everyone!!
Now back to Trump and the latest... the Impeachment Inquiry.
But first, let me remind everyone that the story surrounding the Donald back in June was the Mueller investigation about purported Russian Influence in the 2016 Presidential Election. Fortunately for Trump, and no surprise to me, it all came to naught.
So the Dems are now coming at Him in a different way ...via the Impeachment Process. Again another bogus, hollow claim that will hurt the Democrats far more than the Republicans.
That said, I am not a Trump fan indeed I believe the guy has been a disaster - his Trade Tantrums, Isolationists Views, and treating US Friends like Dirt while Praising the Bullies and the Dictators.
The only thing I support him on is with respect to The Wall - a country that cannot control the inflow of illegal refugees is not a country within the meaning of the Webster Dictionary.
So I fully agree with those who believe that for the sake of all, the Trumper needs to go !
But the fly in the ointment is the fact that there is no one and I mean no one on the scene who has the needed qualities to replace him. Much like our Election in October, Justin Trudeau got in because there were no viable alternatives.
What complicates the situation in the States is the fact that it is split right down the middle - Conservatives on the Right and Progressives on the Left...50/50. There are too few Moderates in the Middle which likely means that when the Dems stop their infighting, their numbers for next November's Presidential Election will be reduced enough to allow the Donald another four years in office.
Quelle Dommage you might say to which I would respond ...Yes and No.
The fact of the matter is regardless of what a disaster Trump has been in Office, he does not deserve the Treatment he has received from the Progressive and more to the point, from the Left Wing Media.
But permit me to restate that: Democracy does not deserve the treatment it has received...
With the Ballots barely dry from the November 2016 Election, the Left Wing Media and Progressives combined to try to destroy the Presidency with any and all means possible. Simply stated, they could not stomach the outcome and were and continue to be determined to nullify what the Electorate had wrought.
The Progressive Left has done such a great job of this that I truly believe American Politics will never be the same in our lifetime. It used to be that when a Party was unsuccessful at the polls, their numbers would roll up their sleeves and undertake publicly that their Party would do better next time. Not anymore.
Now back specifically to the current Impeachment fiasco.
It purports to be about the President's conversation with the Head of Ukraine and Trump's alleged blackmail of the latter to get the 'goods' on a son of Democratic Contender Joe Biden. Biden's son, it is claimed by some, was involved in shady busy practices that took place in the Ukraine.
To which I respond so what. The Dems have already admitted to having done similar investigations against Trump with Russia and besides, I fervently believe the President, as the highest politico in the world, should be able to count on his conversations with other world leaders being confidential. I heard it said that in a meeting with Putin, Trump is alleged to have said, 'dear Vladimir don't worry if Russian interfered with our 2016 Election since our Country is the world's worse offender by far' and of course he is right. A most recent case in point is our October Election just past where Liberal heavies have stated publicly that without former President Obama's intervention on their candidates behalf they would not have one. Not a word of criticism from the Left Wing Media or America's Progressives.
It is all nonsense with the danger that it will only serves to help Donald Trump win another 4 years in office - which again is not what I personally want to see happen.
But what makes this all so futile is the fact that in order to complete a successful Impeachment it requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a body which consists of a majority of Republicans so the chances if such happening range from nil to not likely.
And one last comment. It was not long ago that a President...Bill Clinton... was deservedly Impeached in the House of Representatives but it failed in the Senate. His crime, he had sex, despite his denial of same, in Oval Office with a vulnerable intern. I still can hear his words these many years later, as I suspect you can too - "I did not have sex with that woman". He threw her under the bus all the while Dear President Clinton being a card carrying Democrat.
That was where a charge of Impeachment was warranted: not though in the case at hand.
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Friday, June 21, 2019
BLOOD ON THE FLOOR...
So said the Pundits about Premier Ford's Cabinet Shuffle yesterday.
But Ford missed one...Himself and to a lesser extent ...He missed firing his Chief of Staff Doug French.
That said I see French as another dead-man-walking thus his firing will come sooner than later. With respect to Ford himself, that will naturally not come now but will be left to either his Caucus in the medium term or to the Electorate in the longer term.
So why do I say that.
Thursday's blood-bath came about as a result of Ford and Co. first year in office which though Ford himself said it had been a great success and although he was quoted as saying he had the best Cabinet ever, his actions yesterday prove that to be all puff and nonsense.
And Dear Reader, if anyone one person is responsible for the slips, retractions, and poor policies generally, it falls at the feet of the Leader - aka Doug Ford.
So let's look at the main casualties:
First the size of Cabinet ...it went from 21 to 28 and startling increase of some 25%. How do you rationalize this in an apparent time of restraint? Well you can't. And how to do face Toronto Council when your first job as Premier was to drastically reduce their ranks? No can do as well.
Rumour had it that Vic Fedeli was toast and would be dropped entirely from Cabinet. He who held the Party together when Star-Crossed Brown imploded. And He who would have made the best candidate for Premier...indeed it was his for the taking if he only wanted it. Fortunately, although a major demotion, Ford kept him on as Minister for Eco Development.
And then there is Ottawa's Lisa MacLeod - humiliatingly demoted to the next to useless role of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Macleod was one of Ford's biggest cheerleaders and now I would suspect you will not see her stay on for the next election.
And another Lisa...Lisa Thompson who was unceremoniously dumped from the Education Ministry and ended up in Government and Consumer Services whatever that happens to be.
Where the two Lisas went wrong is they followed Ford's instructions to their joint detriment.
And then there is Caroline Mulroney...she who traded on her famous name or to some ...her infamous name similar to the only thing Justin Trudeau had going for him in the last Federal Election. Just for the record, I personally subscribe to the infamous descriptor for both.
Now one thing Ford did not do - and I mean did not do---he left Christine Elliott in place as Health Minister though he hived off certain of her heretofore responsibilities. Elliott should have been Leader instead of Ford. Word has it though that she sustained a serious fall and head injury recently so her time too maybe be limited.
Bottom-line here, I am not enamored with the Ford shuffle. For year two he needs to take more responsibility for his own leadership which primarily entails getting rid of the debt / budget deficit and showing his pride and his team's pride in doing so. In other words, they all need to quit pandering to noisy little self interest groups and work for the hardworking taxpayer.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
The second major person in Cabinet was Christine Elliott
But Ford missed one...Himself and to a lesser extent ...He missed firing his Chief of Staff Doug French.
That said I see French as another dead-man-walking thus his firing will come sooner than later. With respect to Ford himself, that will naturally not come now but will be left to either his Caucus in the medium term or to the Electorate in the longer term.
So why do I say that.
Thursday's blood-bath came about as a result of Ford and Co. first year in office which though Ford himself said it had been a great success and although he was quoted as saying he had the best Cabinet ever, his actions yesterday prove that to be all puff and nonsense.
And Dear Reader, if anyone one person is responsible for the slips, retractions, and poor policies generally, it falls at the feet of the Leader - aka Doug Ford.
So let's look at the main casualties:
First the size of Cabinet ...it went from 21 to 28 and startling increase of some 25%. How do you rationalize this in an apparent time of restraint? Well you can't. And how to do face Toronto Council when your first job as Premier was to drastically reduce their ranks? No can do as well.
Rumour had it that Vic Fedeli was toast and would be dropped entirely from Cabinet. He who held the Party together when Star-Crossed Brown imploded. And He who would have made the best candidate for Premier...indeed it was his for the taking if he only wanted it. Fortunately, although a major demotion, Ford kept him on as Minister for Eco Development.
And then there is Ottawa's Lisa MacLeod - humiliatingly demoted to the next to useless role of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Macleod was one of Ford's biggest cheerleaders and now I would suspect you will not see her stay on for the next election.
And another Lisa...Lisa Thompson who was unceremoniously dumped from the Education Ministry and ended up in Government and Consumer Services whatever that happens to be.
Where the two Lisas went wrong is they followed Ford's instructions to their joint detriment.
And then there is Caroline Mulroney...she who traded on her famous name or to some ...her infamous name similar to the only thing Justin Trudeau had going for him in the last Federal Election. Just for the record, I personally subscribe to the infamous descriptor for both.
Now one thing Ford did not do - and I mean did not do---he left Christine Elliott in place as Health Minister though he hived off certain of her heretofore responsibilities. Elliott should have been Leader instead of Ford. Word has it though that she sustained a serious fall and head injury recently so her time too maybe be limited.
Bottom-line here, I am not enamored with the Ford shuffle. For year two he needs to take more responsibility for his own leadership which primarily entails getting rid of the debt / budget deficit and showing his pride and his team's pride in doing so. In other words, they all need to quit pandering to noisy little self interest groups and work for the hardworking taxpayer.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
The second major person in Cabinet was Christine Elliott
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
HERE IN CANADA WE HAVE OUR OWN PIZZA PARLIAMENT
Italy is often mocked for the number of Parties it has in its Parliament ...six (6) to be exact.
But Dear Reader, so do we ... permit me to list them:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
3. NDP
4. Greens
5. Bloc
6. Madd Max's Peoples Party
And if you count the independents, we actually have one more than Italy.
Why do I raise this, you might add?
A person very close to me has great trouble believing that Justin Trudeau will be defeated in the October 21 st Election - despite my assurances to her that JT is a dead-man walking.
The main reason I say this is because his greatest opponent is none other than himself and as such - he goes from blunder to blunder. Many of these have been discussed in my earlier blogs. Those blunders are so numerous, he simply does not have the time to undo the damage they have caused him.
So despite the fact that Two Thirds of the Canadian Electorate is centre left and only One Third is centre right , the latter is being bolstered by Trudeau's blatant ineptness which alone will ensure a Conservative victory.
But there is another important factor at work to doubly ensure his electoral demise --- Our Pizza Parliament of course.
Five of the above-noted Pizza Pieces reside in the Centre Left Spectrum so the usual advantage to the Left (read Liberals) is split 5 ways to Sunday.
That leaves but two Centre Righters and that is split between the Tories and Madd Max. However recent polling shows that split to be 34% to 1%. Ergo the People's Party will not be a factor in the Election. Bye Bye Max you will be missed since you are the only real conservative in the mix.
Bottom-line, the Conservatives will win a majority government this year but will not win a majority of the votes. That majority of votes will go to a very splintered left.
Pizza Anyone ?
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
But Dear Reader, so do we ... permit me to list them:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
3. NDP
4. Greens
5. Bloc
6. Madd Max's Peoples Party
And if you count the independents, we actually have one more than Italy.
Why do I raise this, you might add?
A person very close to me has great trouble believing that Justin Trudeau will be defeated in the October 21 st Election - despite my assurances to her that JT is a dead-man walking.
The main reason I say this is because his greatest opponent is none other than himself and as such - he goes from blunder to blunder. Many of these have been discussed in my earlier blogs. Those blunders are so numerous, he simply does not have the time to undo the damage they have caused him.
So despite the fact that Two Thirds of the Canadian Electorate is centre left and only One Third is centre right , the latter is being bolstered by Trudeau's blatant ineptness which alone will ensure a Conservative victory.
But there is another important factor at work to doubly ensure his electoral demise --- Our Pizza Parliament of course.
Five of the above-noted Pizza Pieces reside in the Centre Left Spectrum so the usual advantage to the Left (read Liberals) is split 5 ways to Sunday.
That leaves but two Centre Righters and that is split between the Tories and Madd Max. However recent polling shows that split to be 34% to 1%. Ergo the People's Party will not be a factor in the Election. Bye Bye Max you will be missed since you are the only real conservative in the mix.
Bottom-line, the Conservatives will win a majority government this year but will not win a majority of the votes. That majority of votes will go to a very splintered left.
Pizza Anyone ?
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
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