1 I think that this escapade has turned millions of Qannddians into the adversarys of the people that they have elected to look afer their interests. It's now quite obvious what they've been up to, instead, along with the help from all their MADE-MEN in the RCMP and Press. You only go around once in life, so, who's lifestyle are we gonna maintain, folks? OURS? Or THEIRS?. Who's kid is gonna go to University? ..those rotten tapeworms....

2 Would you invest your money in a business where you knew the leadership was corrupt? Countries and economies need forein investment and investers will shop around for a clean place to park their cash. By the way, why is the media so quiet about our rising loonie? Whenever good news about our economy came out pre 2006 the media hailed the Liberals as geniuses.

3 I import from Hong Kong, and I have had several suppliers remark to me in the past 4-5 years (somewhat jokingly) that our government is corrupt. They were aware, to some extent, of the sponsorship scandal. If guys selling computer parts from HK know of the sponsorship scandal, you can bet the guys in suits do to. Why deal with Canada, which has a corrupt government, when you can do business with the US? I wouldn't doubt the collateral damage to damage to Canada's reputation and economy was in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

4 Maybe we could fly a flag of convenience over Canada to trick them. Works for some of us.

5 All those scandals you're in such a lather about were really only exposed and highlighted in this way because it suited the purposes of a politician who was engineering a coup against the then prime minister. And these were only the latest in a long string of scandals dating all the way back to the Pacific Scandal and beyond, into the murky, corrupt quagmire of New France. Those who understand the fundamental axioms of human action as described by the Austrian economists know without having to consult any blue-helmeted bureaucrats' dubious statistical droppings that government corruption always hurts the wealth and freedom of citizens. They also know that any government intervention hurts its citizens, regardless of whether it is perceived as being corrupt at the time that it happens. This is not because of any unusual character flaws in the individual politicians or bureaucrats who are implementing the policies. There is a simple reason why, which has to do with the traits that all human beings share. All of us are greedy and lazy. Greedy in that we are constantly unsatisfied with our life in some way and seeking to improve our life. Lazy, in that we naturally seek the easiest path to improving our life. Many people would steal from their neighbors if they could, because this path to improving our material life is easier than working, saving and investing. But most people do not choose this path because they know that this will cause their neighbors to want to steal back from them or even hurt them and kill them. But what if you could steal from your neighbors by joining a political party, getting a government job, or simply by voting yourself your neighbor's wealth? This is the perfect crime, because once you are in this position - inside the government, or pulling the strings of the government - you have a huge police force and an army to protect your thievery from the revenge of your victims. Those inside government, not being particularly motivated to serve the citizens, instead use their ample time to come up with statistical arguments and other forms of sophistry to convince their victims that not only are the inherently corrupt government services actually benefitting the public, but that the public really needs more services, more government, more taxes, more control. This is why the greatest and most harmful con-jobs are nearly always portrayed as the greatest things that ever happened - the CPR boondoggle, our foreign wars, medicare, and so on. And that is why it is futile to respond to the egregious scandals of the previous regime by looking for a better class of politician to take the levers of power and run peoples' lives for them. The existence of such levers of power is inherently corrupt because the power rests on coercion and not on choice. If you still believe in the value of democracy then the only possible way you can actually benefit the non-recipients of government cheques is by striving to elect only politicians who promise to freeze or dismantle the levers of power, and not support politicians who paradoxically claim that they can use the coercive force of taxation and redistribution "fairly". And if you are fooled into supporting politicians who claim they will give power and money back to the people who earned it, but who then invent new crises as an excuse to grab even more money and power, then you must try to undo the harm and unelect them, or at least expose them as the hypocrites and liars that they are. Ragging on old scandals while you let new scandals germinate and fester under your feet is an entirely ineffective strategy. I see "Mulroney II" written all over this government, and I see "Trudeau II" warming up in the wings waiting to replace it in a few years.

6 Quebecers were the most affected by the Sponsorship Adscam scandal, and they know they were robbed of their sovereignty because the Chretien Liberal illegally funnelled money into the NON side of the referendum. Okay, so Quebecers are now staunch federalists, but in their hearts they will not forgive the Liberals for their dirty tricks that besmirched Quebec society with the corruption and criminality. Perhaps that is why Dion is so despised in Quebec, and the federal Liberals are a spent political force in that province.

7 Maybe we need a law to force them to read your blog after all libs appreciate big government forcing things on people they don't want in a democracy.

8 You might also include the $2 billion wasted on gun paperwork for duck hunters and a systematic underinvestment in infrastructure for over a decade

9 I hope you don't let our anonymous Liberal friend bother you, Steve. It just shows you've hit a sore spot. And when a non-partisan organization like the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada agrees with you about the effect of government corruption on the economy, well, I guess some Liberal supporters can only handle it by using the lamest excuse possible: "Hey, it's human nature, we just couldn't help it."

10 Nothing bothers me anymore, Brian, and thanks for asking. I've always maintained that I want people to join in the discussion from all points of view.

11 Steve, I firmly believe that liberalism (as opposed to the Liberal Party) has been hurting our productivity for decades. But the sponsorship scandal ? I think the NDP -if in power- could absolutely murder our productivity while remaining scrupulously honest. Anyone with a work ethic who is forced to belong to a union could tell you that. Socialism simply discourages people from being hard -or even good- workers. If I have an axe to grind with the LPC (and I have several) it is that they have made us completely irrelevant on the world stage. Everything that we paid for in blood (4 overseas wars), ingenuity (medicine, aviation, technology), and even the arts, has been systematically pissed away -by liberals. Hell, even the US can't be bothered to revile us anymore. They just don't mention us at all, like we're a once-good friend who became a drunk and is somewhat of an embarrassment now. Speaking of the US, it's interesting that they're not even mentioned on that UN quality-of-life list. Ethnic Dutch have been fleeing their country in droves for years now -but Holland is on the list. The US is not. Right-o... IMHO, what's hurting our productivity is socialism -in all it's manifestations. Look at the editorials and letters to the editor prior to the 2006 election that warned that Canada under the Conservatives would mean that we would be left to fend for ourselves. Fend for ourselves ? Isn't that what used to be called being self-reliant ? Once it was something to be proud of. Now it's something to be feared. That's what's ruining us. Just my .02 worth.

12 We're being screwed here over by a system that combines the WORST aspects of both Capitalism AND Socialism. Like the Brits figured out, years ago, why try to run some szchiddt country for the apes that live there? All you really want, is to control the $$$economy$$$, JAWOLT? That's why you're all gonna pay $6.oo per gallone of Benzin, all the while the're the boiling Crude Oil from the TARSANDS for a mere $13 per 200 litre barrel...Herr Bush gets a BIGG LAFF outta that, you suckas....

1 I agree with you. But all I wanna know is... do you also dislike cats??

2 BTW, I like the new page.

3 Thanks Polly. And no, I don't dislike cats. Cheers.

4 I've always hated the "cat bounce" term, but I agree with the principle. With respect to the poll done by Allan Gregg, I ran the "unofficial" search and saw that an Allan Gregg has consistently donated $250/yr to the Libs (except 01 & 02, I think, for some reason), but no other parties. Probably just a coincidence.

5 Perhaps the 'bounce' part is because staunch Liberal supporters just can't live without the stench of corruption. As soon as this aroma starts to fade, or is threatened with removal, the diehards come out of the woodwork, looking for it again.

6 It's similar to what happens to a very ill person just before they die. They seem to get better for a day or a week, and then just... die. I always worry when someone very old or very ill suddenly rallies. I usually make sure my black dress has been dry-cleaned. RG

7 It could also be that some Liberals, momentarily disgusted with their Party, have come back out, finding no acceptble alternative. I saw this in the initial Clinton/Monica scandal. Many Democrats I know thought Clinton should resign, having disgraced the office. But, shortly thereafter, they found they had to choose between Clinton or the Republicans. So they came home to Clinton. The lesser evil is still the lesser evil, even when it's more evil than you'd hoped.

8 Yes Allan Gregg has been a Liberal boot licker from day one. It just sickens me when he or his stand in the East Indian guy from Vancouver get on one of Peter Mansbridge's political panels.

9 Polls don't mean nothing the change week to week. Too many fence sitters vote to be on the wining side last minute so they can say the voted for the winner. Sad but true

10 Cheap Jerseys From China Free Shipping,Cheap Nfl Jerseys,Enjoy The Cheap Womens Nfl Jerseys!