Category: Other

Congratulations to Premier Ralph Klein. Alberta can claim that it is now the only province in Canada with its provincial debt cleared.

Oil revenues some say. Prinicipled policy others say.

Consider these words from Premier Ralph Klein:

“Alberta is the first debt-free province in Canada. Let those words sink in for a minute. It’s quite an achievement!

“To put it in context, consider that the federal government currently has a debt of more than $500 billion, and debt and interest payments each year of more than $35 billion. That means the federal government’s single largest program is debt!” — Premier Ralph Klein, July 12th 2004

Indeed.

Again, my congratulations.

The National Post reports today that Stephen Harper has privately told his 99 member caucus that he will be integrating more former PC members into his ‘inner circle’ and the move will start moving the party towards the centre.

Good first step.

“Mr. Harper made private assurances to his caucus he wants to steer the party closer to the political centre, and will start by making changes to his office, bringing in people that will help make the party more palatable to Quebec and urban Ontario voters, sources said.” — National Post

As the Post remarks, Harper is being watched as to how he will discipline the MPs and candidates that misspoke party intentions on controversial issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, bilingualism and the charter of rights. I believe that he should usher these people to the fringes. The campaign kept losing cabin pressure as some candidates espoused their views as if they were party policy. However, it will be difficult for Harper to find grounds for punishing these individuals as the campaign, and yes, the party came together in break-neck speed. Indeed, the party didn’t have its choice of election dates and when the writ was dropped, there was a gameplan but no playbook. The Conservative Party of Canada is to hold its formative policy convention at Thanksgiving this year. This will provide the bounds of policy as to where the party stands. The party will need to stake its territory in the middle while battling those who may resist the party’s direction.

Stephen Harper has provided a good first step moving the party towards the centre to appear as a government in waiting. The next few steps may prove to be a little more challenging.

Today, two boys reacted angrily as a judge sentenced their adoptive parents to a mere 9 months in prison (eligible for parole after 3 months) for tethering the boys in cages for the first 13 years of their lives.

They were kept in diapers because they couldn’t get to the washroom, subjected to rectal examinations and regularly beaten with a variety of household implements.

Court heard the boys lived in such fear that they ate their own feces to hide evidence of accidents and, deprived of water, felt compelled to drink their own urine.

This judge felt it adequate to hand down a 9 month sentence for perhaps one of the most bizarre child abuse cases ever heard in the courtrooms of this country.

Perhaps judges should be accountable to the people whom they represent. The Crown has not ruled out an appeal of the judge’s ruling, yet I find the poor judgment and absolute power of this unelected ‘representative’ to be a flaw in our justice system.