Monte's got a few questions about the Income Trust situation............

Andrew Coyne..........

Empowering everybody..........

Tipping point?.............via Bourque.com

After 12 years they are now going to create a task force and "get tough" on crime 3 weeks before an election?Dream on........

The RCMP are understaffed by at least 2000 officers because of their increased duties after 9/11.How many officers were hired above the attrition level with that $10 billion they claim was put into the security envelope?

"The audit found that new recruits do not always receive six months of training in the field under the supervision of a senior officer. Furthermore, planning for replacements is inadequate and the RCMP risks overloading the contract peace officers.

For the most part, the RCMP has provided the number of peace officers it is obligated to provide under contracts with provinces, territories, and municipalities but it has done so at the expense of its federal policing responsibilities, such as fighting organized crime. "

If there was justice.................

Criminals and crazies don’t register their firearms and don’t care about handgun bans, because they can buy them from anybody smuggling them across the border.

If there was justice in Canada, those who kill on-duty police officers would be executed. Until there is justice in Canada, our only protection lies in judges who take gun control seriously. It’s not as if we don’t give our judiciary the latitude to pre-empt such horrible crimes.

TorStar Public Editor..............

Duceppe calls upon Martin to have Goodale step aside during the investigation

After 12 years, it's time for a change........

"Layton launched a blistering attack on the failed leadership of Paul Martin and his Liberals.

“Mr. Martin hasn’t earned the right to speak for Canada’s values. Leadership isn’t sloughing off yet another RCMP investigation – this one right into the centre of the Martin government,” he said. “And leadership isn’t picking values of convenience."

Time for full disclosure on the Income Trust situation-who knew what, when?

"Question: Mr. Martin could you tell us about the people in the P.M.O. who would have heard about this decision before it was made public?

Paul Martin: I knew. I'm one of them. The fact is that people who would be on a need-to-know basis would have that kind of information. The fact is that these options, the discussions, you know, they flow up. So it would be on a need-to-know basis.(CBC Newsworld, 3pm, December 30, 2005)

The Liberal story on income trusts, possible leaks and insider trading has been inconsistent from day one. If Paul Martin wants to clear the air he can start by disclosing which of his staff were informed of the decision and when they were informed."

Victor Hanson......

So much for the gun registry...........another task force on crime, surely they jest.A track record of being soft on crime can't be sanitized

by some spin doctors.The crooks have no trouble getting guns while the focus has been on making law abiding citizens fill out a blizzard of paperwork.

Questions for the campaign............

Where did the $40 million unaccounted for from the Sponsorship program disappear?

Priorities...................

The party's top five priorities include the following:

* Cleaning up government by passing the Federal Accountability Act
* Cutting the GST
* Cracking down on crime
* Increasing financial assistance for parents
* Working with the provinces to establish a wait-times guarantee for patients

The Sponsorship program was only about 2% of the PWGS budget........

The government had 12 years to enact legislation to have the RCMP Commissioner report to Parliament instead of reporting to the government-like the

independent offices of the Auditor-General and the Information Commissioner.In 12 years they didn't enact the legislation-didn't have time....or .......??

Fundraiser? via Bourque.com

If it's on a blog, it's news- via jacksnewswatch.info

"This can't be a good thing for lovers of the traditional game of politics. We know how the traditional game works: Politicians make statements, media report statements and solicit reaction from other politicians. Politicians and media are the players. Those who are not players have several ways of making their views known: They can write letters to the editor, they can answer the phone when the pollster rings and they can be the person-in-the-street when news media are conducting person-in-the-street interviews.

(In our current weather, the person-in-the-street is usually the person-in-the-indoor-shopping-mall, but it's essentially the same thing.)

This structure has not always been viewed as fair by all members of the public and some have attempted to make their views known by other means. These include heckling loudly at political gatherings and also standing on street corners and shouting.

The blog is an electronic version of the latter. The proprietor of the blog shouts out from his or her place on the Internet and hopes someone is listening. Increasingly, someone is, at least for the time being."

After the Suicide of the West...................

"What are the stakes? The terrorist attacks of 9/11 gave us a vivid reminder—but one, alas, that seems to have faded from the attention of many Western commentators who seem more concerned about recreational facilities at Guantanamo Bay than the future of their towns and cities. For myself, ever since 9/11, when I think about threats to democracy, I recall a statement by one Hussein Massawi, a former Hezbollah leader, which I believe I first read in one of Mark Steyn’s columns. “We are not fighting,” Mr. Massawi said, “so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you...................”

In one hand ,out the other...........

Peter Worthington

"With the RCMP undertaking a criminal investigation into the leak of a tax-cutting plan that made some speculators rich, one might think a "good and honest" finance minister would do the right thing and step down while the probe continues.

Not Goodale.

While this is an unanticipated bonanza for Harper, it's also more evidence that the moral compass of the federal Liberal party and its masterminds is out of whack.

If nothing else, it should persuade the undecided that there will be no end of corruption and hanky-panky in Ottawa until there is a change of government. "

After 12 years,a culture of cronyism and corruption and entitlement..............

"Perhaps one reason the polls moved so strongly in the wake of the Goodale scandal is Canadians sense this is different than AdScam -- it threatens the integrity of our stock markets, not just our government.

Even Liberal voters who accept the "everybody does it" spin for AdScam are repelled by the notion such lax standards should be applied to the stock exchange.

The more than $300-million blown in AdScam is a disgrace, but many Canadians had psychologically written off that money the moment it was deducted from their paycheques in taxes. Not so their investments on the TSX, including their pension fund or RSP."