The Anth Zone

The Harper Conservatives have fallen five percent in the recent poll conducted by Decima/Canadian Press that leaves them in the lead with thirty-four percent. The Conservatives have been sporadic in polling numbers throughout their first year in government. Nor does the polling data seem to be leaning in their favour for a majority hold of the House of Commons to project their national agenda if an election was called.

This weekend as some of you know, I went to the LPCBC convention in Sun Peaks last weekend. Michael Ignatieff and Gerard Kennedy were both special guests. In recent weeks Michael Ignatieff has impressed me as a Liberal and I regret the things that I’ve said to his key youth supporters during the leadership race.

He said that he’s learned a lot about Stephen Harper from sitting ten feet away from him, “When I look into his eyes I see emptiness.” Stephen Harper has proved himself soulless on multiple occasions since taking the oath of office last year after his party’s election into government.

The Stéphane-Elizabeth Pact has successfully been spinned in favour of the Green Party that has finally given the party an upper hand dealing in Canadian politics. I am every so hopeful that the Green Party in the next election will be invited to the Leadership Debate since they’ve constantly proven that they are not a party of a singular issue and they’ve shown competence in environmental leadership that hasn’t gone commended for their tireless efforts since their founding in 1983. Elizabeth May herself has shown dedication to her country by actively pursuing a greener Canada. The Greens are comfortably sitting at eleven percent.

The Bloc Québécois have lost one percent since the last poll that was released last month through the Angus Reid Global Monitor’s website.

The New Democrats have seen some gains they now stand at fifteen percent. To me this is quite disalarming to learn that the NDP has gained more momentum over the course of the last several weeks. They are a party of only chit-chat. Not action. After all they were the ones that propped up the Conservatives into government. What resulted in their course of action? National Childcare, Kyoto, and the Kelowna Accord have been sacrificed. We have to remind Canadians that the NDP isn’t a party for them. I certainly wouldn’t entrust my life in a NDP government, federally or even provincially. Their bad blood. The Liberal Party must appeal to Liberal soft NDP supporters while we are working up to a possible election.

The Liberals gained only a single point in these polling numbers, I expect that we’ll see more gains from this party in the upcoming weeks due to the rumours that are building up momentum that the Stephen Harper Conservative government may call an election.

I believe that Saskboy from Abandoned Stuff should run for nomination to run for the Green Party in the upcoming election for two reasons; 1) he’s constantly proven himself that he’s knowledgeable on the issues that Canadians face & 2) he can represent the people of Saskatchewan and promote the issues that are important to them. He takes great pride in helping others and honestly, even as a Liberal, I’d like him in the House of Commons as the next MP in the Green Caucus for Wascanna Centre or Yorktown-Melville. So Saskboy, you better run. I’m counting on you.

I’m heartbroken to read the latest article on the CBC’s website to only learn that my love is leaving me. Yes my love is Belinda Stronach forever and ever since she’s walks with elegance and beauty wherever she must go, I wish her all the best with her new position at her daddy’s company. Now, I know how Peter MacKay and Tie Domi felt. I’ll miss you Belinda.

Vast Left Wing Conspiracy (VLWC) is a website that aggregates and lists non-conservative political blogs, and has grown bigger in the past weeks.

There are members from more than 13 countries, and the site is offered in 5 different languages (with two more languages to come soon). There are now 178 members in the VLWC worldwide, and you can join for free (if you’re not a Conservative supporter).

Here is a very partial list of some Canadian members:

My friend 1337hax0r - creator of VLWC. aakashmaharaj anthzone aprilreign audontology bcinto bestworst blevkog bloguenorth boundry buckdog canadasdebate cathiecanada centralgrit cerberus cmkl consciousearth cotegauche dailydissidence darkdaughta dawgsblawg daybyday devinjohnston

~ Saskboy

Previously I’ve written on the detainment of a Canadian boy and his Iranian parents being held in a U.S. Detention Facility since they were traveling under stolen passports. There is an updated status on their request to gain temporary status to reside in Canada. It has been approved. Kevin and his parents are turning to Canada and hopefully when they file for refugee protection, they’ll be approved.

A nine year old Canadian-born boy and his Iranian parents are currently being held at a United States Detention Facility outside of Austin, Texas. Kevin has serious case of eczema and asthma, his condition has eroded since his apprehension in Puerto Rico after a passenger on their flight from Guyana to Toronto suffered a mild heart attack.

The boy and his parents were traveling under stolen passports. I do not condone their illegal activities by stealing another’s identity to travel abroad under an assumed name. They’ve broken international law by committing these crimes, and are a probable threat to disallowing them to return to Canada.

The lawyer has laden out the family’s game plan to return to Canada. The lawyer will contact the government of Canada to grant them a permit to allow them into the country, where they’ll make official claims for refugee protection.

Kevin’s parents first came to Canada in 1995 for ten years they fought for asylum from the Canadian government. They were unsuccessful and were deported to Iran after starting a family. When they returned to Iran they faced torture and persecution and now they face indefinite detainment in an American detention centre. This plight was avoidable, the Canadian government could’ve granted them asylum which would have allowed them to live here freely.

The child feels hopeless, scared, and is desperate. He wrote Prime Minister Harper a letter to come to him and his family’s aid. This government is not compassionate about non-voting citizens. Issues such as this one shouldn’t be politicized, I know.

Lady Liberty’s grin will be gleaming down on the House of Commons this evening after the opposition joined together in a trilateral force to protect the civil liberties of Canadians by successfully defeating the extension of the anti-terrorism measures.

Irwin Colter abstained because he felt, “the fact that [the provisions] have not been used means that they have not been abused, but they maybe needed in the future.” I can understand the position that Colter has taken and I agree with him to a degree. The measures could protect us in the future from acts of terrorism on Canadian soil in the future. The likelihood of such an attack has heightened since September 11th.

The federal government has been reminded that they cannot use a permanent felt marker to blackout the freedoms that are guaranteed under the national charter.

Under the former provisions under the anti-terrorism act the following sections were ‘blacked out’: ‘right to life, liberty, and security of person’ (s.7), ‘right from unreasonable search and seizures’ (s.8), ‘freedom from arbitrary detainment or imprisonment’ (s.9), ‘right to be informed of reasons for arrest including the right to retain counsel upon arrest’ (s.10), & ‘rights in criminal and penal matters such as the right to presumed innocent until proven guilty’ (s.11).

The highest court in the country has ruled unanimously against the security certificate system because it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The government used this program to detain foreign born nationals without due process or be faced with deportation to a nation that sponsors torture.

The Supreme Court has given the government one year to amend the law; Stockwell Day has said the government is ‘optimistic’ to make the necessary changes pertaining to the court’s rulings on the security certificates. The federal government’s responsibility is not to have national security infringe on the civil liberties declared in our constitution.

Your moment of zen.

Oh, Bev Oda!

I’m not going to write anything this evening, however I saw these comics on CBC.ca, and I thought I’d share them with all of you.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he’ll respect the passage of the bill that requires the government to meet the nation’s Kyoto commitments. Stephen Harper stated; “Of course, if and when that becomes law, the government would respect it.” It’s expected to receive overwhelming support from the Liberal dominated Senate.

The battered Prime Minister said, “I’ll just point out that the bill has no plan of action in it; the bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to actually have a plan of action.” I’m pretty sure that the government could act on the environment by taking the initiative to protect and by educating Canadians on how the country can take action to resolve the crisis of our time.

The Prime Minister appears to be taking a step backwards from previous government threats that they’ll ignore the Kyoto Implementation law and that they’d be prepared to face off against numerous lawsuits and even a non-confidence motion.

In other news relative to the environment, former-Vice President Al Gore has announced Live Earth concerts. Concerts already confirmed are going to be hold in the following cities: Shanghai, Johannesburg, London and Sydney, Australia.

The concerts will all be held on July 7th of this year. Artists and groups that have said they’ll take part of the behemoth event: Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, Korn, Black Eyed Peas, Duran Duran, Pharrell, Faith Hill and Bon Jovi. I do hope that they have a concert close or in Vancouver, B.C., I would so buy tickets to support Al Gore’s movement on the environment.

. . . . . . . . . . . I wished he’d ask me to be one of his Young Ambassadors for spreading his message around the world for climate change . . . . . . . .

The Liberals and the opposition parties have teamed up against the Conservative government voting in favour of the Kyoto Protocol. The Conservatives tried to kill the bill hours before the vote was held by trying to have it declare invalidity; however as we all know the bad guys always lose.

Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez ten months ago introduced a private member’s bill for the government to recommit to Canada’s Kyoto targets. Last week a motion introduced by Stéphane Dion was voted in favour of Kyoto. The government is doing terribly, as I’ve mentioned previously Canadians favour Kyoto and not the Conservatives’ made-in-Canada plan.

I found this amateur animated cartoon to be funny in some parts, I thought I’d share it with the rest of you.

h/t to While the Earth Burns.

The Conservative Party of Canada bought news headlines on the web illegally.

With news that Garth Turner may come across the floor to sit as a Liberal, it has certainly made me ecstatic. I first came across Garth Turner back in August, when he disagreed with the Prime Minister on reintroducing the vote on Same-Sex Marriage.

The Conservative caucus expelled Garth Turner for ‘breaching caucus confidentiality’ on his blog where Garth continues to deny the allegations sent out against him; I believe Prime Minister Harper wanted a pure conservative right winger to represent the Halton constituency. The Prime Minister likes to play dirty politics, there is no doubt and the last two election campaigns are my proof.

I welcome Garth with open arms, however there is still the possibility that he may sit as the Green MP. To my Conservative friends; can we consider this a trade? You got Khan, we get Turner?

UPDATE: Garth Turner has crossed the floor to sit as a Liberal. Garth thanked Dion by saying, “welcoming me, even knowing that I’m a pain.” Welcome to the party, Garth!

“The Liberal party is as close to my PC roots as I’m going to get,” Garth stated in a press conference with Stéphane Dion, “The progressive part of the Conservative party is gone.” A lot of Progressive Conservatives came to the Liberal Party after Peter MacKay sold the party’s mojo (or soul) to the Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada.

UPDATE #2: I discovered this video done by Garth Turner and he explains in-depth of why he came to the Liberals. I thought I’d share it with you.

The motion introduced by Stéphane Dion to reaffirm Canada’s support for Kyoto has passed in the House today, 161 – 115. This is a step forward in the right direction; repair Canada’s international reputation, after receiving a crucial damaging blow almost a year ago when the Harper government announced their intentions to withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol.

It is certain that Canadians have mixed feelings on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol; however, the majority has ruled in favour of the Kyoto Accord over the Conservatives’ made-in-Canada plan. (63% for Kyoto commitments, 30% for made-in-Canada plan; Source: Canadians Pick Kyoto Over New Environmental Plan, Angus Reid Global Monitor.)

It is clear that Stéphane Dion and the Liberals speak for the majority of Canadians across the country. The environment will be the key issue in the next election, I don’t think Steve has enough pixie dust in his accountability bag.