I have just finished watching the “Rise up Canada” Liberal video on Youtube, and was once again stirred to write. Michael Ignatieff spoke eloquently and passionately about the disarray of Canada under Harper’s government, for what I believe to be the first time. He told the audience to “Rise up” against the oppression of Harper who has been found in contempt of parliament, who has prorogued government twice, who has a man convicted of fraud five times running his campaign, etc.

We all know what Harper has done; we all know about the 5 question max rule that Harper enforces on reporters at any event. We all know that Canada is in disarray, but a man who points out the obvious as Ignatieff continues to do is not a leader. He is not speaking the truth about Canada’s situation. Canada’s 16% corporate tax is the lowest of ANY developed nation in the world. Considering the income taxes that we must all endure (which goes as high as 40% for households that make over $100,000/year) which, by the way, was only meant to be temporary after World War II, a 16% taxation for multi-billion dollar transnational corporations is a slap in our face.

We are the residents of Canada. We are the driving force of the economy; when we have money, the country has money; when we are prosperous, the country is prosperous. Transnational corporations are the leeches of Canada, taking with them billions of profit – made off of Canadian citizens – outside of our borders to faceless CEO’s and stockholders. A measly 16% tax on this means that they are not only saving money to continue but are pleaded to do so by our government. Let us not forget that due to these corporations, our natural resources are being sucked dry, our Canadian companies are either dying out – unable to compete with unethical corporations – or are being bought out as soon as they are found to be profitable.

Congratulations Ignatieff, you are promising to stop the corporate tax cuts that would drop the taxes to around 14%. That will make you the hero that Canada needs right? Wrong! Canada has been passed from one colonialist power to the next; first Britain, then to the United States, and now, to the corporations that govern the world. Canada not only needs, but deserves a man with the (for lack of a better word) balls to stand up against this atrocity. Canada deserves a leader who will raise corporate taxes and drop our income taxes. If transnational corporations leave, I say all the better. Foreign “investment” is the ownership of our culture, country, politics, and social realm. Canada is dying as the corporate leeches continue to bleed us dry and we wonder why there is no more pride to be Canadian.
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In a stunning move this week, Jack Layton, slammed the government over a leaked memo that revealed the government’s interest in cutting the number of environmental impact reviews it conducts. The leader of the New Democrat Party, “Uncle” Jack Layton, said it spoke of the government sacrificing the environment for the economy. Perhaps even more stunning was Layton’s suggestion that the opposite of a green economic recovery was a “brown” one.

Until now, political leaders in Canada have traditionally abstained from weighing in on opposite-colour contraversies. The last time it had happened was in 1967 when Lester B Pearson suggested the opposite of burgundy was magenta; a move which grew widespread protest from members of the PWFCIM (People Who’s Favourite Colour Is Magenta) who claimed Pearson’s assertion was reckless and inaccurate. That was a different time however, and Layton’s modern-day assertion is drawing its share of supporters, as well as speculation that “brown” may actually enter the books as the colour of anything un-eco friendly. This comes much to the dismay of the PWFCIB (People Who’s Favourite Colour Is Brown), who lament that the colour brown has been through enough denigration already, having previously been stigmatized as the colour of ‘poop’.
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NDP Leader Jack Layton was the guest of honour at a fundraiser last night in Woodstock, Ontario. Layton showed up almost an hour late and was seen as a little disoriented. Here is the excerpt of his speech:

Ladies and gentleman, people of the free press, my brothers and sisters, dudes and chicks, comrades and all you other freaks out there,

“It is real…..groovy to be here tonight to fight for the right to smoke weed, man…uh um…for medicinal purposes. I support this cause with all of my MOJO. Because you know, just today I came down with a serious headache…and I was not avoiding my lady for some sugar, you dig….but when I get a nagging noodle ache or my moustache starts to drip because of my nose, there is nothing like a little Mary Juanna to smoothen things out and to take me on a different plane. Can I get an “AH YEAH!” from the audience?
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It all started when Barack Obama included “Buy American” language in his economic stimulus plan coming out of congress. That built tension worldwide after an $825-billion stimulus plan was passed last week by the House of Representatives requiring the sole use of U.S. made iron and steel in public projects. The protectionist messages being relayed by the US are especially a concern for Canadians, given that the US is our largest trading partner.

In a panicked response, the governments of both the European Union and Canada sent letters to Congress urging that the provision must be dropped.

But Canadians nervous about a trade war with the US heard reassuring words from Obama after he realized the extent to which nations worldwide were panicking. “I think it would be a mistake … at a time when worldwide trade is declining for us to start sending a message that somehow we’re just looking after ourselves and not concerned with world trade,” Obama stated. He also assured the world he did not want to send a protectionist message.
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Could it be true? That the NDP party is going to become redundant in the next federal election. I sure hope so for the sake of a renewed federal Liberal party and a stronger two party system. After all, for a country of 30 million persons, do we really need five “national” political parties?

While the great infrastructure begging contest goes on in earnest, the NDP is sending clear signals that they’ll likely vote against the upcoming federal budget – no matter what it contains. Apparently, they’ve been overcome by the scent of power and would like to chance it on their own coalition terms.

Government cheques for everyone!
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