In defence of defence of religions act

This post is for my readers who were questioning the need for strengthening the existing legislation regarding defending freedom of religion and free speech rights in Canada.

Mike at The Good Fight has linked to an excellent article by Ted Byfield at the Calgary Sun, which lists all sorts of court challenges over the last few years.

Notably, but not limited to (and I have paraphrased Ted's words here):

-Bill Whatcott, an evangelical Christian and a licensed practical nurse who was fined $15,000 by his professional association for protesting against abortion on his own time and $20,000 by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission for speaking out against homosexuality.

-the Catholic school in Whitby, Ontario, which was forced by the Ont. Supreme Court to allow a homosexual student (Marc Hall) to take his boy friend to a school dance.

-seven marriage commissioners in Saskatchewan who have been forced to resign because they refuse to perform homosexual marriages.

-Mennonite camp north of Winnipeg which refused to rent its premises to a homosexual choir, and was dragged before the Human Rights Commission whose decision is pending.

-Hugh Owen, evangelical Christian who placed an ad in the Saskatchewan newspaper naming four Scriptural verses against homosexuals, and not even quoting them. He was forced to pay $4,500 in human rights fines.

-printer Scott Brockie refused to print material for a gay organization and was fined $5,000 and ordered to print it anyway. When he still refused, his case went to the Ontario Supreme Court and his legal bills added up to $170,000.

-Scott Boisson, the Calgary evangelical pastor who wrote a letter to a newspaper questioning the promotion of homosexuality in the public schools. When he was charged, he held a fund-raising dinner for help with court costs. Something calling itself the Gay Militia, wearing masks, burst in on the dinner and tried to break it up.

-Kamloops teacher, Chris Kempling, who was suspended for daring to question homosexual marriage in a letter to the editor, and was suspended for four months without pay, though there was no evidence whatever he had mentioned this view in a classroom. And when he was asked to appear before a Commons committee, he was put under investigation again by his superiors.


And so on. But many people have willful blinders on, and even this evidence will be lost on them.


Update: This is quite an impressive post argued from the other POV. Why Gay Marriage is Good Conservative Policy. You know, I can't argue with that. It would certainly be easier to go with the flow. I guess it depends what's important.

A friendly debate

Fred and I are having a little discussion over at Gay and Right.

He made the point that he wishes Harper would follow Gordon Brown's example and acknowledge society's failings regarding young boys.

Now, Fred seems to be a nice guy. Since he is also a Blogging Tory, I am trying to be as polite and objective as I can. But something bothered me when I read the article from the Daily Mail.

If it is true that society is responsible for the rising incidence of single parent families, with most custodial rights belonging to the mothers, and if this is having a negative effect on male children from those families, then why do we allow single people to adopt, and put them deliberately in that situation? And why do we allow gays and lesbians to adopt for the same reason, i.e. that we deny the child the benefit of an opposite-sexed parent right off the bat.

O.K. I've heard all the arguments; especially the ones about lesbians apparently being better parents than heterosexuals. I'm guessing the rationale there is that men are inherently more violent? Anyway, the point is that there is a certain benefit in the ying and the yang.

Girls need a male in their lives to validate their femininity. This encourages them to feel strong in their role as a woman, and not immediately seek out a casual fling to fulfill that need.

Boys need their fathers as role models. Fathers also sometimes provide that little push to do things that Mom would not have the courage to do. Sometimes Mom coddles when what the child really needs is Dad behind him to help deal with the real world out there.

Fred immediately began defending his right to same-sex marriage, which while it is part of the issue, is not the issue itself. Gay parents will always have children from previously failed marriages or whatever.

But what about adoption? Whose right is most important here?

I invite your comments, but please let's try to be especially calm and objective here. I will not tolerate any labelling or name-calling in this post. Thanks.

Caledonia - Message from the Chief

Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations has written a letter in today's Post, in response to Lorne Gunter's op-ed "Where's the rule of law when you need it?"

(Sorry that the whole letter is behind a subscribers' wall. Buy the paper.)


Chief Fontaine assures us that talks are progressing well, but he states that the Assembly of First Nations is "deeply disappointed" by comments such as those from Mr. Gunter et al over the way things are being handled by the province and the OPP.

There is no "two-tiered application of the law" for native and non-natives, as Mr. Gunter states. There has always been a nation-to-nation relationship between First Nations and the government of Canada. This relationship is enshrined in the constitution and preserved in binding treaties that First Nations signed with the Crown.

As for the protest march planned for tomorrow, we hope the media, the public and the government pay as little attention as possible. Instead, we commend the people of Six Nations for organizing a Potluck for Peace Picnic on the same day.

O.K. Let's dissect this bit. Regarding the latter, if it really were a "Potluck for Peace Picnic", why not invite everyone in the town of Caledonia to join in? That way, everyone could just relax, and discuss things over a pot of stew.

Instead according to the Star, they're planning to "secure the boundaries", which doesn't sound too friendly to me.


Now the first part of that quote tells me that Canada is regarded as one nation, and the natives belong to another. So do natives still regard themselves as Canadians?

Yet, the natives are apparently very miffed at not having been consulted regarding the appointment of tough guy Julian Fantino as the new OPP commissioner. They had been asking to have some input, or play an "advisory" role.

Does anyone else see the irony here?


Sunday Update: Today of course is the scheduled date for the March in Caledonia. I will try to add any links throughout the day.

Star: Fantino's record with natives under fire.
Sun: OPP brace for rally.

So far so good in Caledonia.

Could it get any worse?

Stories like this just make me want to cry. There is no punishment too severe for this kind of animal.


Update: Another sad story - Woman Carried Dead Fetus for a Week!!!

Last Minute Details

Caledonia Wake-up Call has posted various scenarios that may take place on Sunday, depending on the cooperation of the OPP. Some seem quite tame, and I'm surprised they've been nixed; especially the bus tour option.

Meanwhile, the Spectator is quoting Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay as saying that people who participate in the march in Caledonia Sunday are "putting their lives at risk."

I can't help wondering why a supposedly peaceful march could be dangerous. First of all, why would the natives at the site be against the march as long as nobody actually went on the province's land other than the ones occupying the site? In some ways it could help draw attention to the painfully slow action of the government with respect to this land claim and others.

Howard Hampton admits to two-tiered justice: "This is a different kind of law enforcement, this is a different kind of administration of justice," he said.

Well, that's it then. Let's just close up shop and go home. Somewhere...
And why would anyone from the March start an aggressive action, knowing that the OPP would be jumping on them at the first sign of a threat?

Why indeed?

Our local radio personality was all for joining the rally up until today. Suddenly he's had a change of heart. He says he has received several threatening messages, and the most ominous one warned that "We will be amongst you".

If that doesn't send chills up and down your spine, I don't know what will. It reminds me of a certain group has a policy of hiding amongst civilians for protection, sabotage and obfuscation.

We have one hope left in Ontario and that hope rests with newly-appointed OPP commissioner Julian Fantino, who says this about Caledonia:

"I will learn a lot about what's happening and we will make wise decisions that are in the greater good," he said in a conference call. "We certainly are very respectful of rights and entitlements of people but we also, I think, have to be very mindful and respectful that there is a rule of law, that anarchy can't prevail and that we will do our utmost best to ensure that peace and tranquility prevail and whatever it takes to do that we'll have to consider all options."

We can only hope and pray.


Update: Things aren't going so well for Gary. However, the natives are planning a big BBQ!!!

Peace at any cost.

Daimnation! - Star upset with Fantino choice!

And from a Spectator reader - Caledonia March is a Protest against Injustice.
Lorne Gunter - Where is the Rule of Law When You Need It?

Actions speak louder

So it seems that Liberals are screaming foul over PMSH's comments that most of the Liberal leadership candidates are anti-Israel, based largely on attitudes demonstrated during the summer's Middle East crisis.

The exact quote (courtesy of CTV) in the context of reaction to a remark by Michael Ignatieff:

When asked about the term "war crime" to describe Israel's action against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Harper told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that he found the usage inappropriate, saying "I don't support that view."

"This is consistent with the anti-Israeli position that has been taken with virtually all of the candidates of the Liberal leadership, and I don't think it's helpful or useful."

Of course the outrage spewed from all Gritty corners. (Well at least there's one thing they can all agree on!)

This whole situation reminds me of Catholic MP's whose voting records often seem to be in conflict with Church teachings and dogma.

Start walking the talk, guys. Then maybe your protests will be more credible.

* * * *

Bob Rae seems especially apoplectic about the Prime Minister's observations.

Is it just because his wife and children are Jewish, or could it perhaps be another desperate attempt to garner sympathy and erase horrible memories of his disgraceful stint as premier from the minds of Ontario voters?


More at D&D - Liberals: Some of our best friends are Jews.

Steve Janke - Cotler's wife dumps the Liberal Party right in the National Post!!!

Saturday Update: Bob Rae - More Jewish than the Jews. Very thought-provoking post at C.L.

Bringing in the Big Gun

More interesting developments on the Caledonia front.

First of all, we have the breaking news that Former Toronto police chief Julian Fantino will be named commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. Thanks to one of my readers, Liberal Supporter for that heads-up last night. He also has an interesting suggestion for Fantino in the previous thread regarding Caledonia.

I love this line, which is astonishing coming from the "Red" Star:

The native standoff in Caledonia has sapped the morale of the OPP and left the premier somewhat enfeebled, having spent millions of dollars unsuccessfully trying to resolve the dispute.

"Enfeebled". I love it!


And on that note, the Star also reports that Mayor Marie Trainer says she's prepared to declare a state of emergency this weekend. So does that give Fantino carte blanche to shut everything down and send the protestors home?

The drama continues. Life is never dull here in McFeebleland.

* * * *

Update: Sun - Fantino New OPP Boss

It's official! But Fantino doesn't start til Oct. 30.

Living in fear - in Ontario. I am not making this up.

The Oct. 15 Caledonia March for Freedom and Equality is being met with increased resistance from various levels of government and police authorities.

Premier Dalton McGuinty declared that (from Spectator):

No one, including residents of the town who are frustrated by the drawn-out occupation, thinks the rally will help the situation, he said.

"The people of Caledonia don't think it's a good idea," he told reporters before a government caucus meeting yesterday.

However, it seems that some of the residents may in fact feel otherwise, but are afraid to voice their opinion, due to fears of retaliation.


Caledonia Wake-Up Call has an audio file on its site from a Global interview. Some residents didn't want to appear on camera due to fears of repercussions, but still support the march. They talk of trauma, grief and stress-related disorders.


MPP Toby Barrett also disagrees with the Premier:

"I've knocked on more than 3,000 doors this summer. When people start crying at the door, it tells me they want some sort of resolution," he said.

Whatever the outcome of this weekend's rally, it is obvious that this situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

What will it take for resolution? Hopefully by this time next year we will have a new provincial government and peace in Caledonia.

Update: The mayor of Caledonia is contemplating a State of Emergency declaration! Read all about it in the Globe before it disappears behind a firewall!!!

Further update from Hazel Hill (Native POV):

The $15 million that the Crown has given to Henco to buy them out of the situation was an acknowledgement in itself that gee, maybe they made a mistake and didn’t have the right to sell that piece of land after all. Common sense tells you if they had clear title, this would have been over a long time ago.

I'm thinking McGuinty should just hand over the land and call it a day. The natives will win in the end, so why doesn't he just save everyone a lot of time, money and grief? What is he waiting for?

Catching up with the papers

This has been a very busy weekend, and I am still under the sedative influences of too much turkey and other yummy stuff.

However, I just came across a very interesting article in Saturday's Post- Statism isn't Liberalism. George Jonas talks about his belief that he is an actual "classical liberal", whereas he feels that "big L" Liberals are actually statists, or perhaps merely "socialists in slow motion", compared to the NDP.

What exactly is a statist? A person who doesn't think that walking on the grass should ever be simply permitted. Walking on the grass should either be forbidden or compulsory. Oh boy. Can someone be a charming statist, you ask? Yes, provided one is like the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

And on human rights:

Liberals tried to cook a dish by keeping the ingredients raw and separate: multiculturalism. They tried to balance one injustice with another: affirmative action. They abandoned the individual as the focal point of humanity's quest for liberty and justice, and focused instead on the group. Rather than equality for each person, they sought parity for every racial, sexual or ethnic aggregate.

Liberals lost sight of the fact that, while equality is a liberal idea, capable of fulfilment in a free society, parity is an illiberal notion that requires coercion to achieve. Guaranteeing opportunity is liberal; guaranteeing outcome is illiberal. It's as simple as that, but they didn't see it.

The article is a great analysis of the kind of renewal that is necessary for leaders and members of Liberal party to rediscover their roots.


Penny has a very thought-provoking post that is related to this subject (What's Right and What's Left?).

Perhaps trying to fit everyone into neat little catagories is the problem. It is a very human characteristic, but often leads to anger and discrimination. Maybe we should just try looking at each other as people.

And that's about as much as I can coax out of this sleepy head. Good night.


Update: Now is this Right or Left or just plain Left Behind? (H/T to Steve Janke).

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

First of all, I would like to wish all my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Everyone can find something to be thankful for today. We are blessed with so much here in Canada, and the efforts of our brave troops in Afghanistan only serve to underscore that point. Even though many have fallen, and more undoubtedly will, we are thankful for their unselfish commitment to freedom.

However, one year ago things were not looking so great in this country. We had a bloated, complacent, self-serving government that was embroiled in all manner of scandals and a prime minister who thought solving a problem involved simply throwing money at it without any thought of accountability. The operative word was "entitlement" and David Dingwall made that attitude crystal-clear to us all.

Canadian-U.S. relations weakened as Paul Martin delighted in throwing insults at our closest ally just to score political points at home.

Today we have a very competent Prime Minister who is actually trying to make a difference. He recognizes that Canadian politics don't occur in isolation - that everything we do has a global impact. He operates with a results-oriented agenda designed to make effective use of taxpayers' money rather than simply use it to buy friends and create more government boondoggles.

The Sun's Licia Corbella, in an exclusive interview with our new Prime Minister, says Harper's the real deal.

If you are a Harper fan, enjoy the read.

Happy Thanksgiving, and GOD BLESS STEPHEN HARPER!!!

Don Martin Slammed

First thing I turned to this morning in the Post was the Letters to the editor, hoping to see some kind of rebuttal to Don Martin's outrageous piece of tripe in yesterday's paper.

I was not disappointed.


Warren Hindle of Calgary writes:

The juxtaposition of Don Martin's "extreme theoretical" of a gay couple wanting to rent a church-run hall to celebrate their union alongside Chris Wattie's story citing that exact situation, which has occurred in British Columbia, proves that it is neither theoretical nor beyond what at least one same-sex "married" couple might desire.

It's also a fact that individuals already have been forced to give up their right to function as marriage commissioners because of their refusal to "marry" same-sex couples...

The contradiction was so immediate and evident that it has left me wondering -- to whose and to what agenda are we now being exposed? Should the Harper government take a position -- and ignore Don Martin's advice -- the issue is likely to be upfront, candid and clear.

PhD candidate Murray S. Y. Bessette from the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University in California writes:

One can certainly argue the merits or demerits of the Defence of Religions Act (DORA) and whether or not it is prudent of the Conservative government to introduce it. Mr. Martin, however, claims that the need of anti-same-sex marriage churches for protection from "gay newlyweds banned from celebrating their happy union in a hall owned by [such a] church," is a "sort of extreme theoretical." Extreme theoretical? I will simply cite the case of Smith and Chymyshyn vs. Knights of Columbus, which was decided by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

Mr. Martin continues his outlandishness by suggesting, "A more realistic hypothetical might be having a radical imam using Harper's bill to encourage the bombing of the Peace Tower." Despite the fact that his "extreme theoretical" has happened, he claims that his outlandish hypothetical is "more realistic." How can that possibly be? To quote Mr. Martin one last time: " Now that's offensive." Indeed it is.

I think Don Martin has lost a lot of credibility. I'm also disappointed with the National Post for running it. Let's have truth in op-eds, or else a disclaimer stating that the opinions are not only those of the writer, but are also not necessarily factual or worth the time to read.

* * * *

Update: Life with a homosexual parent: First hand account.

Is there a lawyer in the house?

It's been kind of a crazy day, and I'm just catching up with my morning newspapers now.

Don Martin has an editorial in the Post, Tory Strides Hurt by a Misstep. Martin's argument seems to be that this whole rumour about the government allegedly considering legislation to beef up religious rights is a waste of time, since the rights are supposedly already there.

"...the federal bill was amended by the Liberals to make crystal clear it wasn't just ministers, priests or imams who were inoculated against human rights consequences for passing on a gay or lesbian marriage ceremony.

"No benefit will be denied or sanction imposed under any federal law solely because a person or organization (emphasis mine) exercises freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by the Charter in respect of same-sex marriage, or expresses their belief in respect of heterosexual marriage based on that freedom," the approved amendment stated.

There endeth the wiggle room on punishing anyone acting or speaking out against same-sex marriages based on religion...."


O.K. I've heard this argument many times already, but on the other side of the fence, I've heard that it is actually up to each province to concur on this framework or else it won't stand up in court. (And even then it is questionable.)

So that is an area where we need some expert input.


Martin goes on:

"But what about gay newlyweds banned from celebrating their happy union in a hall owned by an anti-same-sex church, one official wondered. Good grief. Has it really come to this sort of extreme theoretical? Besides, what happy homosexual pair would want to hold their reception in a deeply religious congregation's hall where, aside from being a sinful coupling in the landlord's eyes, there probably isn't any booze allowed either?"



He's really out to lunch on this one, because it already happened in B.C. when a lesbian couple took the Knights of Columbus to court over their refusal to rent the hall to them for a wedding reception.

Frankly, I'm shocked that this got to press, without someone correctly this outrageous error.

* * * *

Update: Now to prove that the Conservative tent has lots of room, here's a Blogging Tory with a different point of view.

Another excellent post at Phantom Observer. Warning! - We may need a legal expert again.

And thanks to Molarmauler for this tip - Predictable Smears by Paul Stanway.

Also please check out The Good Fight: Don Martin needs to do his homework. That's for sure!!!

Why does Canada ignore polygamy?

The Toronto Sun has obtained a report released by University of Toronto law professor Rebecca Cook, which slams Canada for allowing "polygamous relationships to thrive with impunity", thereby violating international human rights law.

Apparently it is up to the province and police to lay charges, but Justice Minister Vic Toews vowed the Conservative government would strongly defend the law prohibiting polygamy.

I have a couple of questions. First of all, why is B.C. so reluctant to deal with this?

Secondly, what if anything was Status of Women doing about it all this time?

Should all rights be protected or just some?

First of all I want to say that I am sick to death of the same-sex marriage debate.

I refuse to discuss this any further other than to say that there are certain religious rights that need to be defended. For example, if a priest or minister wishes to preach that homosexuality is a sin, they need to be able to do it. Otherwise, we no longer live in a democracy.

The opposition seems to think that this is discriminatory.

Since it is very unlikely that the existing legislation will be overturned, we need to make sure that certain rights are still protected - how far that will go is going to be the big issue.

If it is ruled that religious groups cannot say that homosexuality is morally wrong, then I hope there will also be a law stating that nobody can say that religious groups are morally wrong. That would mean no hate speech against Christians, Jews, Muslims, whatever.

We will have to clear everything with Big Brother - which isn't such a stretch these days.

New Graphic

Thanks so much to my niece Michele, who created this awesome original graphic design for my blog! She works for a publishing company in Toronto and is quite an impressive young woman.

Michele, you are very talented. I appreciate this so much.

If anyone would like to enlist Michele's artistic talents, please feel free to email me at my profile addy, and I'll pass on the request.

Please don't give 'em what they want

The latest in a tragic series of school shootings has some experts pondering the possibility of "copycat syndrome". Today's National Post carries an article to that effect - "Montreal might have triggered latest U.S. wave".

Dr. Roy says he will never mention the name of the monster who executed those Amish girls.

I wonder if there is a way for MSM to convey the news without disclosing the name of the killer, in an attempt to tone down the notoriety aspect.

Obviously, these deranged individuals are looking at the attention that previous school shooters get, and then expecting a similar splash themselves as they go out in what they perceive to be a blaze of glory.

MSM could give profiles of the killers without giving the name; much like the young offenders' situation here, where the accused is not named. But instead of protecting the murderer, the intent here would be to play down the media attention.

Thoughts?

More Two-Tiered Justice in Canada

There is an interesting article in today's Hamilton Spectator about on-line gambling and the division it has caused in the Six Nations. Seems that the federal government is linked at some level as well.

Please read Online Gambling Divides Six Nations.

Native claims, such as those made by the Kahnawake Mohawks, that they retain sovereign rights over online gaming have never been properly defined in court.

"Has it been tested in the courts? No. Are (the Kahnawake Mohawks) carrying on openly and transparently? Yes," said Lipton.

"Does the Quebec government know about it? Yes.

"Has the Quebec government gone on record to say that it's legal or illegal? They said that it's illegal back in 2001 but they haven't done anything about it."

Comments are welcome. This is an area where I have little background, but it does seem to be more evidence of two-tiered law enforcement in Canada.

More at Wake-up Call.


Update: Three native gambling sites fold.

Baby Pics

In honour of Life Chain 2006, and also in response to Suzanne's Big Blue Wave Pro-Life BlogBurst, I would like to pass along the following personal story.

Recently I was chatting with my hair stylist as she tried yet again to do something with my unruly mop. Another very pregnant employee had just finished her shift, and was waiting for her husband to pick her up from work so that they could keep an ultrasound appointment.

She was looking forward to this experience, and showed us pictures from her previous pregnancies. I was in awe. Ultrasounds have come a long way from the grainy images done when my son's first baby pic was done many years ago.

The newest thing now is to get 3-D ultrasounds done. Of course, this is at an extra cost. I think she said around $200 for their package - but well worth it, it my opinion. Apparently you can get CD's, DVD's, videos and all kinds of options.

If you look at the sample photos on this Canadian site, you can see the amazing images of these unborn infants at the top right and left of the page. If you keep watching, they morph into the pics of the babies after they emerge from the safety of their mothers' wombs.

It struck me at the time, that there is such a dichotomy between the fate of unborn children whose mothers want them versus that of the unwanted child.

Designer photos for the chosen! Death for the unwanted. How is this fair?

When I mentioned to the two hair stylists that I couldn't understand how some women and doctors could see fit to kill such a beautiful living being, they agreed.

My own hairstylist said, "Well, at least they don't abort in later stages", or something to that effect.

I told her that she was incorrect - that in Canada there is no abortion law, and it is legal to end an unborn life at any stage; even in the cases of partial-birth abortions.

She was in shock, and asked another stylist in the shop if she was aware of that. She said no, she had no idea. They had all been operating under the misconception that Canada had some kind of late-term abortion law.

It made me wonder how many other Canadians are so poorly informed. This is an issue that the Pro-choice movement wants to keep quiet. If you even bring up the subject, you are a bigot, which I am sure I will be labelled today (as usual).

My point is, don't give into the pressure to remain quiet. Talk to everyone you know and tell them the truth. Tell them about the slaughter that is happening in Canada.

Ask them to look at those 3-D baby pics and ask if they still feel comfortable about allowing that baby's life to be ended.

Would you ignore an abused child's cry?

We are all responsible.

* * * *

Check out Dr. Roy for an awesome post, and a very scary story about a woman who shot her full term fetus in the head with a pellet gun. Baby died after birth. Woman walks free.

Only in Canada.


Another good read at The Black Kettle - "When the death merchants come..."

Update: And now I will link to another excellent post on this topic (Mark Peters). But feel free to ridicule and obfuscate. It's a democracy here - unless you happen to be a fetus.


Another Important Update: Please read Vek's blog - Canada's view on abortion. It ties in very nicely with what I have been trying to say, which is that Canadians really don't realize that we have no abortion law at all!

Waterloo Region ER Crisis Continues

It's days like this that I'm really glad I have a blog. It affords me an avenue to vent, and that's what I'm doing today, so be forewarned.

This story is big enough to be picked up by the Star (Kitchener Hospital to Close ER Sunday over MD Shortage.) However it is also a warning to other smaller Ontario communities. - Our health care system is in crisis (as if you didn't know). What makes this situation even worse in Waterloo Region is that Oktoberfest will soon be starting, which brings in a huge crush of tourists and their related emergency needs at the local hospitals. Add to that the fact that there are many people here without family physicians so that they rely on walk-in clinics (which usually only operate during business hours) and ER's for their regular health care.

The Globe is also carrying a related story on the various problems contributing to the crisis that is not just an issue in Waterloo Region (Doctors pay issue haunts McGuinty). Inadequate pay is one grievance, but also there are the problems of general doctor shortages, working conditions and the 'top-up' practices of larger hospitals that make competition difficult in smaller communities.

It is the lead story in the Record of course. I could provide a number of links, but for some reason, they seem to give me grief, so I'll just select a few quotes here and there.


First of all we have the typical finger pointing going on in an attempt to pass the buck:

Conservative party leader John Tory was shocked by the news of the closure at Grand River.

"This is the most staggering thing that I've heard happening in the province of Ontario since I've been in politics."

He attacked Smitherman for focusing more on party politics and not enough on finding a solution to the emergency room crisis.

"We got a lot of partisan bluster from Mr. Smitherman and really no taking on board of what is clearly now a terribly serious problem that is going to potentially put in jeopardy someone's health," Tory said...

"It's time Mr. Smitherman spent less time trying to deflect attention off on to somebody else, or off on to past history, and more time trying to deal with a crisis that exists this weekend in your community," Tory said.

The Health Minister for his part was blaming the past Conservative government:

Health Minister George Smitherman, however, laid the blame on Witmer, and her days as Conservative health minister.

"Elizabeth Witmer,'' Smitherman said, "is the living legacy of threats to patient safety. And it's about time she stepped up to the plate and took one ounce of responsibility for the fact that between 1995 and 2000, she sat on her hands while her community was struggling, even then. I'm struggling to make up for lost time.''

The Conservatives should have been dealing with the physician shortage back then, he suggested, because it takes several years to train a doctor.

Conservative Health critic Elizabeth Witmer is concerned about the safety implications for area residents:

Witmer said she's worried about confusion arising over where to seek services.

"My primary concern is the fact that this could put patient safety and lives at risk," said Witmer, Conservative health critic and MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo.

Witmer noted Waterloo Region residents, through donations and a regional tax levy provided millions of dollars to upgrade the region's hospitals including Grand River's emergency department.

She said the goal was to ensure the region's growing population would get its fair share of health care services.

"We no longer have our fair share."

More to follow.

From my previous post I see that Ontario isn't the only one experiencing health care problems. Where is the money going? This is a provincial jurisdiction, but it seems to be a national issue. Please weigh in with your own experiences wherever you live.

* * * *

IMPORTANT UPDATE: 570 News reports this morning that the ER will remain open now, due to the sudden intervention of George Smitherman.

My question is, why did it have to come to this to get action from McGuinty and company? One thing is clear; whether it's the natives wanting a land claim settled in Caledonia or doctors needing help in emergency rooms, you have to take drastic action to get this government's attention - or a little political blackmail.

Our great public health care system

Just heard on Newstalk 570 that Grand River Hospital in Kitchener will be closing its emergency department this weekend for good. More to follow.

Thanks Dalton McGuinty! You've got money for everything but health care!

Update: 570's on-line report available now. Is this a sign of things to come across Ontario?


Siscoe reminds us all of McGuinty's inspiring words, as we search for a hospital with an emergency department that is open: Hang in there!

Rachel's take on the Federal diet

Rachel Marsden's commentaries are usually a bit too caustic even for me - which is quite remarkable when you think about it! Today however, she nails it.

Waste Not, Want Not (Toronto Sun) is an excellent critique of the latest Conservative belt-tightening measures that have the opposition parties screaming with fury and indignation.

I don't want to spoil it for you, but here are a few of my favs:

Liberal leader Bill Graham said the belt-tightening was vindictive and "mean spirited." Right, about as mean-spirited as telling a kid to take his head out from under the Slurpee tap at the 7-Eleven

* Stephen Harper has saved us $47 million per year simply by shrinking the size of his cabinet compared to Paul Martin's. That was a lot of wasted money just to make Liberal MPs feel important. Then again, when your party's sleaze factor is off the charts, as it was during AdScam, maybe it helps to have the word "Honourable" in front of as many names as possible.

* Harper shaved $5 million from the Status of Women budget. Our military budget already has this covered. Canadian soldiers who are killing the misogynist Taliban in Afghanistan have done more to improve the status of women than any interest group. Too bad the NDP won't support their mission.

* $5.6 million was saved by axing the Court Challenges Program. This funding enabled special interest groups to challenge laws made by parliamentarians democratically elected by the rest of us. There's a name for this: Tyranny.

Well, go read it for yourself.

And Happy Friday! Please remember to wear red.

Mini McDithers and Caledonia

Just finished listening to Neil Desai, Provincial Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and John Tory, leader of the Ontario Conservative party on Newstalk 570's Jeff Allan Show.

Please note that I may not have quotes exactly word for word, but the context is accurate. (Also having trouble with some links.)

Jeff’s question du jour was “What's your reaction to millions of taxpayers dollars being wasted on Caledonia?”

O.K. Admittedly that’s a loaded question. However, here are a few of the more memorable moments.

Neil Desai referred to Dalton McGuinty as "Mr. Dithers Jr." with regards to the standoff with no end in sight.

Jeff remarked that the money spent so far on Caledonia would go a long way towards resolving the emergency room crises in Waterloo Region.

Neil was upset about Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsey's statement that Caledonia is "going to cost what it is going to cost" - in other words, carte blanche.

I'm wondering why we can't have that same attitude with health care?

Neil also talked about how we are only making natives more dependent with all this spending both at the provincial and federal levels - that basic issues are not getting resolved.



Next John Tory was up to bat.

Jeff asked John if there shouldn't be some kind of "end date" to this dispute as in forced arbitration.

Mr. Tory replied that to have this go on indefinitely is disrespectful to taxpayers and to the rule of law. He said he is sympathetic to the land claim, but wonders why Mr. McGuinty doesn't take the stand that there will be no further negotiations until the land is vacated and then placed in trust until the dispute is settled.

He said there is no indication at this point that anyone is asking the natives to leave. Furthermore, the Province (read taxpayers) is paying the hydro.

He thought it was interesting that McGuinty had remarked earlier that an occupation into the winter would be unacceptable, but nothing seems to be happening to prevent it.

Tory said a leader can't "just sit back and hope for the best".

As Jeff touched briefly on the health care crisis in Waterloo Region, and the fact that McGuinty seems resigned to the private solution at Cambridge General, in spite of campaigning to strengthen public health care. (Try this link at the Record for background).

John Tory said that McGuinty is a man who will "say just about anything to win an election", and that he thinks people are starting to pay less attention to his promises. Tory thought the Premier should spent less time in political actions and more time trying to find real solutions; otherwise why are you running for the job?

Tory said the notion that you can just sit back and not make a decision in order to keep everyone happy is just plain irresponsible.

Indeed.


However, some people in Ontario do feel that we should just shut up and pay our taxes.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm mad as h**l, and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!


Update: More at Dust My Broom (Investing other people's money in "solutions").
John Tory asks for rally to be cancelled.


Tuesday Update: Rally moves to fairgrounds.

We Want Iggy!

Daimnation just posted We Want Bob! in reference to the article in today's Star, Memo shows Tories fear Ignatieff most.

Maybe we need to change our tactics here though. Let the Grits think we're more worried about Bob Rae, so they steer clear of Iggy.

I don't think we have anything to be concerned about though. Considering that Iggy seems to be the only one with a centrist viewpoint, the radical left-wingers will ensure he is left in the dust - which will be good for the CPC.

Not so good for Canada.

UPDATE: Rae thinks it's a ruse!!! (Star)

McGuinty is Proud

Mcguinty is proud of the way his government is handling Caledonia.

Although John Tory is talking about a figure of $55 million, that's no big deal to this government.

“It’s going to cost what it’s going to cost,” Ramsay said. `When you’re confronted with a situation, it’s the government’s responsibility to deal with it.”

Put up and shut up, taxpayers of Ontario.

* * * *

Meanwhile, while McNero fiddles, emergency departments in Waterloo Region are facing crises of epic proportions:
- Doctors threaten to cut back hours
- Private solution offered
- Cambridge Memorial in crisis


But hey, the man is proud!

More from the Globe: Judge Marshall get blasted.
Caledonia's lawyer supports him. Well, no surprise there.

Update: Listen to John Tory on the Jeff Allan Show tomorrow morning at 10!

Moral Relativism meets Catholicism

Far from keeping church and state separated, three NDP M.P.'s are using their pulpits in Ottawa to interpret their own version of the Bible, and use it to justify their support for same-sex marriage.

Apparently MP Joe Comartin has been given divine inspiration on the issue:

Joe Comartin concurred saying his decision was based on “the very underpinnings of Christian tradition. “You ask yourself that age-old question, what would Christ do?” he told Maclean’s. “What my faith taught me was his Christ’s love for humanity was an absolute fundamental, in many respects overriding all other considerations.

Wow. So who needs Pope Benedict?


Oh, yeah. And on the subject of protected rights...

And if we do incorporate “speciesism” into the curriculum, will Stephen Harper have to attend every major fall fair and ploughing match in Canada?

I mean, let's face it. He clearly favours cats.

Do we still have Freedom of Speech?

Are we all equal under the rule of law? Caledonia Wake-Up Call doesn't think so.

A March for Freedom has been planned for Oct. 15, but it seems that the OPP is trying to obtain an injunction to prevent the public gathering. (Click on "OPP Enforce Two-Tier Injunctions" near the top of the page.)

It would seem that only special interest groups are allowed to have rallies, parades, occupations and demonstrations. I'm all for equal rights, but doesn't equal mean "everyone"? What do you think, Belinda?

Is this the Ontario you want?

* * * *

Update: David Ramsey says "...his department is not seeking an injunction to halt an Oct. 15 rally on the disputed land, although aboriginals have asked the province to stop the rally for fear it will lead to violence."

Now why would a peaceful rally lead to violence?

And who is telling the truth? Or is this just a sneaky way to get around the possibility that it is actually the OPP who is seeking the injunction? Stay tuned.

See also Officially Screwed - March for Freedom in Caledonia.


UPDATE: Scathing editorial in the Toronto Sun over McGuinty's naming ex-addict Health Minister George Smitherman as new deputy premier!!!

At least we still appear to have Freedom of the Press.


-but not Freedom of holding up a sign.

Hedy Out

Just heard on 570 news that Hedy Fry just dropped out of the Liberal Leadership race. Haven't seen anything on the net about this yet.

As disappointed as I am, she did finally make a wise decision (unlike some others.)


Update: Here's a link.

Why am I not surprised that she is backing Bob Rae?


More MSM starting to pick this up.

Six Nations and the Grand River

Today the Record has a front page story about the Six Nations and their claim to the Grand River in Southern Ontario.

This is an exceptionally well-researched piece complete with diagrams. The subtle nuance between the elected council and the Confederacy council is explained. It certainly helped me put things into perspective.

There are a lot of highway improvements hung up over talks with the Six Nations, since some proposals involve crossing the Grand River, so the natives must be consulted. Meanwhile, Waterloo Region's traffic is grinding to a halt in many areas.

One of the major problems appears to be the confusion about who officially represents the Six Nations now; especially in light of the Caledonia occupation/reclamation.

Anyway, it is worth the read for anyone following the situation at Douglas Creed Estates.

* * * *

Update: It seems that natives are allowed to hold protests and occupations, but if ordinary citizens plan to hold a rally, they are wachos! (H/T Dust My Broom) Nice. That's what Dolton's friend David Peterson thinks about some of the people who will coincidentally also be voting in the next provincial election.

Well, if those folks vote Liberal, I guess they truly will be wachos!!!


Further Updates: I love this native! H/T to Angry and others.
Steve Janke also discusses the Six Nations Leadership confusion.



For anyone who gets the National Post, please check out the two page spread in Saturday's front section - Cold War in Caledonia:

Maria Rauscher, a 61-year-old German immigrant lives with her husband on the Sixth Line.

The road has been deemed an official no-go zone for Ontario Provincial Police.

Six Nations officers are supposed to patrol it, but Mrs. Rauscher, her husband and others on the road say that in reality the Sixth Line is a legal "no-man's land" where law-breaking is rampant and property values have plunged.

"I can't live like this anymore," said Mrs. Rausche, wiping at her eyes and trembling with anger. "If something flares up again we're right in the middle. It's a time bomb."

Mrs. Rauscher and her husband, Dieter, 65, say their quarrel is not with the natives, but the government. They have lived in harmony with the nearby reserve for 27 years.

A return to that harmony seems unlikely, considering the complexity of the land claim.

Another Dash of Real Life (with a grain of P.C. Politics)

I was going to direct this post solely at the ladies in my readership audience, but then thought better of it.

We now live in a tolerant Canada where exclusion of any kind warrants being labelled a bigot (unless you're funded by Status of Women). Therefore anyone can read or comment on this item, but it is especially dedicated to a fellow Blogger's wife, who I have been told reads my blog but isn't too much into politics. So Madame, this one's for you. :)

Today is officially the first day of autumn, and for me that means the DREADED PURSE CHANGEOVER DAY!!!! Any woman/man who has a white purse in her/his possession knows what that means. For some inexplicable reason, you can't wear white past the summer. To me this is colour discrimination. People wear black in the summer.

It is acceptable to wear white shirts all year long, but definitely no white purses or pants in the winter! Maybe because you could get lost in the snow? Perhaps it's a safety thing.

Anyway, I digress. So this year the task is especially painful, because I found a particularly lovely white bag this summer. It's beside me right now. The shape is rather rectangular; almost the size of a tissue box but a bit longer. It has cute little pockets at both ends so you can stick your cell phone in either one and still have it accessible no matter which shoulder the bag is resting on. Genius!

And it is so soft! My hands caress it everytime I reach in for my wallet. I don't know what kind of material it is, but I am going to miss this purse. The strap is perfect - wide enough that it doesn't cut into my shoulder, and just the right length so I can tuck it safely under my arm when shopping and not worry about those nasty handbag abductors.

And it is roomy - just about anything you could imagine will fit in there and yet it still looks small! It is every woman's (or man's) dream bag!!!

The winter purse that will now be receiving the burgeoning contents is black (of course), rigid, space-challenged and just plain boring.

I obviously would like to find another purse just like my summer one but in black. No such luck so far. Maybe I could paint the white one? Or use black fabric tape? Black dye?

Nah, probably not. The whole allure of the white one was probably tied up with my summer memories, so it would never be the same.

So as I slowly and sadly stuff my black behemoth with all the feminine/masculine necessities, I say goodbye not only to my white bag, but also to an awesome summer of swimming, gardening, golfing, boating, fishing and languid strolls along the beach.

Au revoir little white bag - Til we meet again next summer.

Dalton Receives 'Personality of the Year' Award

Two words - Gag me.

Toronto's Toilet

The more I think about it the angrier I get - David Miller's incredible sense of entitlement to think that he could just shove a secret deal through to get rid of his own problem. He has literally dumped it on Southwestern Ontario, and we are livid!

Did he think the London-St. Thomas area would just meekly accept this decision and all the Toronto table scraps that go with it?

The lack of empathy and goodwill is chilling. Any other sludge or vermin you want to send our way, Mayor Miller?

I feel sorry for our neighbours to the west who appear to have no recourse. Those along the 401 corridor will also have to continue to tolerate the garbage convoys that are presently going to Michigan, which is closing its door to the trash in a few years.


We here in Southern Ontario can't vote Miller out, but we can do the next best thing - We can vote with our wallets and boycott Toronto.


We can also vote out Miller's best friend - "Conservative MPP Tim Hudak said Toronto Mayor David Miller clearly has more influence with Premier Dalton McGuinty than his own London-area MPPs." - Toronto Sun.



More Links:

- Miller's Deal is Garbage: Toronto Sun editorial
- "Masters of our Own Destiny" - (Sounds like a Seinfeld episode)
- (Area) Politicians not happy - CTV
- A few interesting comments in today's Letters in the Sun.


I think this has potential to become a wedge issue in the next provincial election; not to mention the upcoming municipal one. It's certainly dividing the Liberal Cabinet:

"I think it is important for municipalities to have a management plan for their waste and Mayor (David) Miller has taken that step," (Environment Minister Laurel) Broten said.

Some of her cabinet colleagues don't see things quite that way.

"Every municipality needs to deal with garbage, in the long-term, in its own backyard. That's diversion, new technologies or (building) your own landfill," said Chris Bentley, minister of training, colleges and universities, and MPP for London-West.

The whole thing may become a stinking mess for McGuinty.

Well on the plus side for him, our attention has been diverted from Caledonia for the moment.

* * * *

Hey, I have the solution! McGuinty can buy up all those houses in Caledonia where the residents are fed up and wanting to leave but can't because of plummeting real estate values. Dalton can solve both problems by giving the homeowners a fair price for their homes, and then bulldozing them all to make room for a dump, and then gift it to Toronto.

Miller will save money from decreased trucking costs, and everyone will be happy. Anyone care to hire me as a consultant?


Update: More from another BT, Joseph Lavoie.

Blog Power?

According to the Star, it appears that some feminist organizations have their pantyhose in a knot with fears of being cut off from the public trough.

Some sources are blaming "Conservative Activists". Now what could they possibly be referring to?

Trash Talk

As if residents along Highway 401 in Southern Ontario needed any more reasons to loathe Toronto (the self-proclaimed Centre of the Universe), big bully Mayor David Miller just served up another one - he is planning to dump on St. Thomas-London.

Lots of reaction in the London Free Press:

Politicians in London were quick to condemn the deal and the secrecy surrounding it.

"The right thing to do would have been to call us and not let us find out through media reports," Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best said.

And from a local MPP:

Khalil Ramal, Liberal, London-Fanshawe: "I'm going to use whatever capacity I have as an elected official to block this. I don't want London -- which is well-known in Ontario and Canada as a health-care provider, as an education provider -- to be known also as a garbage dump site. I believe it's about time that the city of Toronto should look at dumping their garbage in Toronto. London is not a dump site for anyone."

However, David Miller wanted to reassure his smaller neighbours, even though the whole deal was reached in secrecy:

Miller tried to reassure neighbours of the city's new landfill site that they have nothing to fear.

"I want to assure the people of St. Thomas and London and local native bands that the city of Toronto as owner of Green Lane Landfill will be a good neighbour and will follow in the traditions of community building that have been held by that landfill for many years and working with the community and the neighbours," he said.

Now there's a solution, Mayor DeCicco-Best! Just encourage the local natives to stage a Caledonia-style occupation on the dump site to prevent Toronto access!! You can be sure that Dalton McGuinty won't intervene.

If the Pope only knew about this!

According to a recent Lifesite article, the School Sisters of Notre Dame of Ontario and The Toronto District Catholic School Board are among the supporters of St. Stephen’s Community House in Toronto, which produced the "Little Black Book" being considered for use in Manitoba high schools.

(Oh well, I guess if Bill Clinton can speak at the Catholic Family Counselling Centre, what's the difference?)

This book has been labelled a "how-to" manual for lesbians according to various sources. The offensive material is apparently no longer available online, so we will have to take their word for it.

I have touched on this subject before, but I am just wondering what parents of young girls are thinking about this; especially those in Manitoba.

I guess in an all-inclusive Canada, we should not just be teaching where babies come from, right? What about the how-to's of swinging? Should that be on the agenda too? After all, it is legal.

Group Sex 101. Anyone want to sign up?

* * * *

UPDATE: More at Dust My Broom and Proud to Be Canadian.
Also check out Family Matters.

Bishop Fred Henry speaks out.

Has Bob Rae had his day?

Interesting discussion going on at Red Tory's.

The topic is Bob Rae's remarks at the Liberal Leadership debate, and the question has come up regarding how Bob Rae might fare in Ontario if he were elected leader. There is a fair amount of speculation, but not a lot of answers. If you need a refresher on his Ontario legacy, it is available at Wikipedia, under the section titled 'Premier'.

I was hoping that this blog might provide some insight. I am asking Liberal voters in Ontario to let me know if having Bob Rae as leader would be a positive development, or would it be something that would dredge up enough bad memories to send them running in another political direction?

Conservatives are free to speculate, but I am looking for Liberals here.

This is just for fun.

In reality though, I would love to see him win.

* * * *

Speaking of Bob Rae, this is interesting... (H/T to BBS)
More on Bob at Angry.

Another great discussion at Zac's with the first comment directly answering my question!

Bob under fire.

Turning the Other Cheek

Since I am rather fond of the location of my head at the present time, which is to say firmly attached to the rest of my body, I am going to refrain from pontificating excessively on the present Papal fiasco. Rather, I will just serve up a few items for your thoughtful perusal.

First of all, we have Raheel Raza and Tarek Fatah's Toronto Star editorial, Outrage and Understanding. They suggest that the 'greater jihad' would be to turn the other cheek - a sentiment with which I totally agree. (It almost sounds like something Jesus would have said.)

Now I could take something out of context here and take issue with the fact that they quoted a philosophy lecturer at Wadham College as saying that "... it's born-again Christians who have been at the forefront of support for the invasion of Iraq, the occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel, and the whole `reorganization' of the Middle East — a catastrophe in which many thousands of Muslims have lost their lives."

But I won't. I shall turn the other cheek.


We also have two totally opposite points of view presented in today's Record. The first is an opinion piece by journalist Gwynne Dyer, "The Pope and Islam - Comments reflect papal intolerance."

I found this bit quite interesting:

Benedict needs a few lessons in manners, but the real reason for the uproar is that so many Muslims feel under attack by the West. Two Muslim countries have been invaded by the United States and its allies since 9/11, and another, Lebanon, has been bombed by Israel with full support from the United States and Britain.

At least 20 times as many Muslims have died in these brutal wars as the number of Americans who died in the 9/11 attacks, and almost none of them had anything to do with that terrorist atrocity.

Dyer has got to be one of Jack Layton's favourite columnists.



On the other hand, we have James A. Diamond suggesting that we consider the Pope's speech in its entirety - "Benedict's Message was one of Hope and Reason".

If we allow intimidation and threats of violence to determine the outcome of debates rather than cogency and reason then we have surrendered the core values of our liberal democracy.

As I see it, one of the problems with the Muslim faith is the blur between religion and politics. I really don't see a separation. I know the Pope has been accused of poking his nose in our affairs too, but I haven't seen him threaten to blow up Parliament yet. So we are free to ignore him if we wish, with little fear for our safety and democracy.

Although many Muslim clerics are asking that protests be peaceful, according to CTV Iraqi extremists are saying, "We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose the 'jizya' tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (being killed by) the sword."

One of my blog readers asked a short time ago who was in charge in the Muslim-Islam world, the way the Pope is regarding Roman Catholicism. I said I have no idea. Does anyone?




Technical note: Having some issues with links here.

For the Dyer and Diamond op-eds, just go to the Record, click on Opinions, and then Insight, while I try to figure this out. Thanks!

Lots of links at Lifesite. Full text of the Pope's speech and lots of other info here.

More from Jonathan Kay at the National Post (Why we're losing). H/T to Gay and Right.

Bit of an Over-Reaction?

Let me get this straight.

Pope Benedict quotes some text from a Byzantine emperor about historical Muslim teachings and the relation to violence. Some in the Muslim world react with anger and violence.

A notorious Muslim extremist in London obviously feels that an apology isn't good enough and that the Pope should be executed.

In Somalia, a nun is shot execution-style in the back. She forgives her killers on her death bed.

Strong Conservative quotes Fox News as saying that, "the killing came just hours after a Somali cleric condemned the pope's speech."

So the nun can forgive her killers, but the Pope's words are unforgivable and worthy of execution?

I think the only thing the Pope is guilty of is bad communication skills.

* * * *

UPDATE: Great editorial at Spero News: Muslim reaction proves Pope's point.
Mixed reaction here.
On the other hand, Muslims vow to 'conquer Rome'.

Charest Caves In

Interesting little tidbit from Lifesite: "Quebec Refuses Appeal on Massive Abortion Payout".

The province of Quebec has announced that it will not appeal a court order to repay Cdn $13 million in costs to nearly 45,000 women who had to pay for their own abortions.

I'm somewhat surprised that this item hasn't had more press, considering the inherent implications of ever-increasing financial strain on our health care system. Something will have to give here - either increased taxes or the delisting of more 'non-essential' services such as eye exams, which we have experienced here in Ontario. I wonder what George Smitherman has to say about this?

The Globe reported the following back at the time of the original ruling in August (you may need to go through Google's backdoor to access the article):

Bruce Johnston, one of the lawyers involved in the class-action lawsuit, said the ruling may have a spillover effect on other services offered in private clinics.

“If you are to offer an insured service, it has to be offered for free,” Mr. Johnston said.

“If there are other medical acts which are a necessary component of an insured medical service, then they also have to be offered for free.”

The abortion association's France Desilets was delighted with the judgment.

“This is a great day for all women in Quebec and a great day for all women in Canada as well because there are other provinces that have the same problem,” Ms. Desilets said.

It would seem then, that if public health care can't provide abortion on demand, then it must be available at private clinics and then the total cost reimbursed to the woman.

Aside from the moral issue here, is everyone comfortable with this notion of abortions on demand anywhere, anytime and the taxpayer footing the complete bill for each and every one?

No accountability. Statistics are very difficult to come by here. If anyone has any, I would be very grateful for the information.

* * * *

Meanwhile, an Ontario woman is fighting to get her cancer treatment covered. Gee, I wonder why there isn't any money left for her?

Another Taboo Subject

No it's not abortion; nor is it same-sex marriage. The topic du jour is capitalism.

Kate has already alluded to this discussion with her post, "A Comment about our Advertisers". She has advertisers who work directly with her rather than using blog-ads. This way the page loads faster and she has more control over ad content.

I tried blog-ads for a while, but took them off for that very reason. I didn't particularly want my site being used to direct readers to a link where you could watch Godzilla fart!

Paypal is another option.

Some people just use blogs as a method to vent, influence opinion or escape boredom. However, others are looking to make some cash.

I'm just interested in hearing from anyone who has opinions and/or suggestions in this regard. Thanks in advance for your input!

Gay Curriculum Battle Heats up in U.S.

Looks like a cyber-fight is going on regarding Christian opposition to the "the Bias Free Curriculum Act" in California. Parents of children in public schools in B.C. may want to take note.

World Net Daily has exposed a particularly virulent piece of hate-speech by Pennyslvania State professor Mel Seesholtz:

"...Everyday the leaders of the Christian Right further expose themselves for what they are: fanatics who advocate discrimination and use hate cloaked in religion to advance themselves and their political power..."

Josef Farah of WND says:

Here's how he [Seesholtz] concludes his rather lengthy indictment of what he characterizes as "the Christian Right":

"A very wise woman recently asked me, 'Who will rid us of the evil lunatics?'"

His answer: "We will. We must. Public education and a civil civilized society depend upon it."

It's an interesting read on both sites. I can't help wondering how the B.C. situation will finally play out.

A Real Wake-Up Call

As we all struggle to comprehend yesterday's horrible events at Dawson College, I can't help reflecting on how fragile life is, and that we should never take it for granted.

When you get that next flat tire, or are stuck in a traffic jam, or your computer dies, try to remember what is important in life. Hug your kids each morning before sending them off to school. You might not get another opportunity.

Great editorial in today's Toronto Sun. Let's reflect and pray. Lots of time for the blame game later.

George's Cathartic Day - With Great Updates!

I sure hope Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman feels better after discharging all that hot air yesterday. It probably didn't do the environment much good though.

Let's see now. First he took a swipe at the incoming CMA president-elect, Dr. Brian Day, who won't even be taking over until August 2007. Dr. Day's sin apparently, is that he the co-founder and owner of the private Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver. (Source: Record, National Post).

Then I guess he had the audacity to allow himself to be elected President of the Canadian Medical Association! So George was blustering about that, and all the predicable innuendos about the implied threat to Canada's sacred medicare system. The Globe reports:

Dr. Day, an orthopedic surgeon, is an outspoken advocate of expanding the role of private for-profit clinics in Canada to cure the system's perceived ills, particularly surgical waiting times.

However the Post notes,

Dr. Colin McMillan, the CMA's current president, dismissed the Minister's remarks as "rhetorical and partisan" and suggested Mr. Smitherman should be "working with doctors for the benefit of patients" instead of trying to paint physicians as a threat to the health care system.

Smitherman also castigated Federal Health Minister Tony Clement, the federal Conservative government, and the provinces of B.C., Quebec and Alberta as being part of this conspiracy to undermine the public health system.


The Post article goes on:

"Conservative MPP Elizabeth Witmer accused Mr. Smitherman of being hypocritical, noting the Liberals cancelled public health insurance coverage for most eye examinations so that Ontarians must now pay for the examinations themselves.

"He's testing out some themes for the 2007 election campaign to see what's going to have resonance with the media, with the public," she said.

"You're either 'wid us' or 'agin us", George has warned us all.

Put me on the "agin" side, please; at least regarding the next election.

* * * *

Update: Background on Cambie - H/T to Daristotle. Always grateful for readers' tips!

Oh, and I wish I had thought of this title - Furious George and the Mindless Election Rhetoric. Good stuff, Mike! Way to expose Ontario's monkey business; and all the way from Nova Scotia!

OHC agrees with Smitherman, BUT...

Wednesday Update: Please read this editorial in the National Post! It appears to be accessible without a subscription.

It is bad enough that Mr. Smitherman refuses to adopt a more open-minded approach toward private care, which would reduce wait times by alleviating the burden on the public system while compelling it to provide Ontarians with better service. It is even worse that he is willing to alienate doctors in search of a few extra votes.

So, now the Ontario Health Minister has been 'outed' from coast to coast in a national newspaper. Get ready for another tantrum.


Update: These guys must be really worried about the by-election! Check this out! And this!

Only in Ontario you say?

Dalton McGuinty and Co. are very big on banning pitbulls and smoking (but not cigarettes) .

But when it comes to home identity theft, the rap on the knuckles is going to cost a whole $50,000 now max (up from a fine of only $1000!).

The Toronto Sun's Linda Leatherdale (Too Little; Too Late) is calling for much tougher measures, such as minimum jail sentences.

Many Ontario residents will be shocked to learn how easy it has been up until now for their homes to be stolen by means of fraudulent Powers of Attorney and various other methods of identity theft. Linda however, seems to be suggesting that McGuinty has wimped out yet again. I would tend to agree.

* * * *

UPDATE: The folly of trusting the 'Nanny State': Read it and weep. (Tuesday Star) - "Property Fraud Reforms only Tinkering: Victims".

Is there anyone in Ontario who honestly still thinks that this government is doing a good job? I would love to hear from you! Please educate me. Thanks.