PM speaks!

I got this from the CTV web site .... It was great.

Erasing surplus was Tories' biggest mistake: Martin
Updated Tue. Oct. 28 2008 10:11 AM ET
Andy Johnson, CTV.ca News Staff
During his years as finance minister, then as Canada's 21st prime minister, Paul Martin always believed that a federal surplus was key to economic stability in uncertain times.
The Conservative government's biggest economic misstep has been to "gut" the surplus that he spent so much time building, Martin tells CTV.ca in Toronto.
That has put Canada at great risk amid the current global economic slowdown, Martin said in an interview during a tour to promote his new memoir "Hell or High Water: My Life In and Out of Politics."
"We left a $12 billion surplus. I would have protected that surplus because that is really what gives government the ability to maneuver," Martin says.
"The Conservative government essentially gutted it, which really puts Canada in a very difficult position from my point of view. ...And I would have worked much more on building up the international effort to co-operate, to deal with and prevent these kinds of things."
Grudges
Martin has a few other grudges with the Conservatives under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. His work on early learning and child care, providing greater support for cities and tackling Aboriginal issues through the Kelowna Accord -- was all but abandoned by the Tories, he said.
"We got them all in place, we had them up and running or virtually, and then of course what happened is the election came and the Conservatives were able to come in and because they were not so strongly anchored in the public psyche and government operations, they were able to walk away from it."
In the book, Martin describes Harper's abandonment of Kelowna -- a $5-billion, five-year plan to boost Aboriginal living standards to the Canadian average -- as his greatest regret about leaving office.
He is also bitter about the timing of the Gomery report into the sponsorship scandal -- released by Martin's predecessor and political nemesis Jean Chretien after he left office -- leaving Martin to deal with the fallout.
"I was mad at Jean Chretien for having left me this time bomb," he writes in the book. "It drove me crazy that I had to deal with this leftover mess when there were so many more important issues I had come into government to confront."
In the book, Martin maintains his early assertions that he was unaware kickbacks were being funnelled through the sponsorship program to party supporters in Quebec.
The sheer amount of time and energy that Martin had to put into dealing with the fallout of the scandal robbed him of his ability to focus on those issues, he says. And arguably, it was also the iceberg that helped sink Martin's political career and give the Conservatives the foothold they needed to unseat the Liberals.
In writing his memoir, one of Martin's main goals was to keep his political agenda from slipping from the public eye "just because there's a government in office that doesn't believe in it," he says.
Not looking back
But the former prime minister, widely seen as one of the most popular finance ministers the country has ever had, says he spends little time looking back or analyzing the mistakes that were made and what could have been done differently.
"You focus on where you're going, not where you've been," he says.
Despite his retirement from public life, Martin's vision has remained locked on clear objectives. Right now much of his energy is focused on his chairmanship of a project to preserve the Congo River Basin.
"I'm very actively involved with the preservation of the Congo rainforest, which is an essential part of the climate change agenda. I continue to be fully involved in the Aboriginal issue and I've been called in much more than I thought I would be on this whole financial crisis," Martin says.
Martin's book doesn't only focus on politics. It also paints a picture of his early life growing up in the Windsor, Ont. area as the son of an MP and cabinet minister who served in four Liberal governments.
Despite his lineage, Martin writes that he wasn't focused solely on a life in politics or business, as a young man.
Surprisingly, one of his main goals growing up was to play in the Canadian Football League.
Martin tells CTV.ca he's excited about the current state of the Liberal Party. Its recent election loss and Stephane Dion's decision to step down from the role of leader are not insurmountable hurdles, but rather serve as building blocks for rebuilding, Martin suggests.
"I think what you're going to see is a great grassroots movement within the party," he says. "I think that there are outstanding candidates who are preparing to put themselves forth and I think we'll see a great debate and I think we'll find a very strong party coming out of this."

How come this never got any news coverage in the last next?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sask Liberals Respond to Sask Party Tax Break
For Immediate ReleaseOctober 21, 2008Bater says Debt Elimination Must be Focus of SurplusNorth Battleford - Saskatchewan Liberal Leader-Elect Ryan Bater says the government is “failing to seize a golden opportunity” to eliminate the provincial debt after hearing the Saskatchewan Party Government’s announcement to spend surplus revenue on income tax cuts, infrastructure, and debt reduction.“We should be nervous about governments that make short-sighted political decisions at a time when we need long- term business decisions,” says Bater. “Our government has an exciting opportunity to finally free the people of Saskatchewan of the burden of public debt. Unfortunately, they are failing to seize that opportunity.”Bater’s comments come after hearing the Saskatchewan Party Government’s recent announcement to increase the personal exemption on provincial income taxes by $4,000. The announcement also included an additional $1billion toward provincial debt and $500 million to infrastructure.“The recent financial crisis that started in the United States and is spreading around the world should be giving policy makers in Saskatchewan serious concern,” warned Bater. “If there was ever a time to make some tough decisions regarding debt reduction that time is now. Otherwise we risk having our province’s financial future be dictated and constrained by the unaccountable and potentially irresponsible decisions of international bankers in New York, London, or Shanghai.”“As exciting as these economic times are, we must be cautious about fostering an economy and a society that is dependent on outside forces. This economic boom has largely been based on commodity prices that are unpredictable and established by international market forces. For example, the price of a barrel of oil has recently plummeted to half of what it was only six months ago.”“To use this one- time money for tax reduction that requires ongoing funding is irresponsible. How is this going to be paid for next year? Or the year after that?” Bater added. “Windfall revenues are filling our treasury, but government spending is also at a historic high, personal debt loads are increasing, and our public debt that has existed since the 1980s is still hanging over our heads.”“If we don’t take the opportunity to eliminate our debt while we can then the boom will come and go and we will have nothing to show for it

Woo

My love sent this to me. There is some good advice here.. Wake up People What do you think? this good advice for both provinical and the federal party.

Kelly McParland: Six tips for a better Liberal party
Posted: October 19, 2008, 10:01 AM by Kelly McParland
Full Comment, Kelly McParland, canadian election
The Liberal party suffered one of the worst drubbings in its history Monday, thanks to the Green Shift and the abundance of alternative left-of-centre parties to choose from. Party elders have all but trampled Stephane Dion in the rush to get to the next leader, but Liberal problems are much deeper than than, and a period of sober reflection probably wouldn't hurt. (Remember, they send the pension cheques whether you were in power or in opposition). Here are some suggestions for things they might want to do different if they hope to earn their way back into the good graces of the Canadian electorate:Get over yourselves
You are not Canada. People with different views are not unCanadian. You do not have an inborn right to run the country. God did not invent Canada to ensure Liberals a full-time job in Ottawa. The party had a healthy run of power for a long time, and you should be proud and grateful, but the country has grown and changed, times have evolved, and you have not evolved with it. It is your responsibility to listen to the country and develop policies accordingly; it is not the country's responsibility to read the Liberal platform and nod obediently.Forget Trudeau
Okay, don't forget him, but quit searching for the second coming. The man was a phenomenon who struck a chord in his time, but he was also deeply flawed and nowhere near as good for the country as he was for the party. He so seriously divided Canadians that large parts of the country are still offended by mention of his name; he was a lousy economic manager who left a legacy of deficit and debt; he galvanized Quebecers for a time but left an aftertaste his successors have never managed to overcome. Canadians aren't going to rise up again to embrace the new Trudeau; they probably wouldn't embrace the old Trudeau if he were to appear now. Confine him to the pantheon of party heroes and find someone who better suits the times.Look at a map
Canada does not consist of greater Toronto and bits of Quebec. Thirty percent of the seats, most of the money and a lot of the freshest ideas reside west of Ontario, yet Liberals continue to treat it as some sort of backwater filled with cowboys and right-wing extremists. No, the people out west aren't like the ones you find at CBC headquarters, but neither is 90% of the country. No, they don't love you for your past and they're not going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly realize the Liberal party vision of the country is the one right and true path. Mocking them doesn't earn their allegiance; listening to them might. Quit preaching, lose the holier-than-thou attitude and come up with some proposals that address the perfectly legitimate aspirations and ambitions of western Canada.Enough with the anti-Americanism
Carolyn Parrish was an embarrassment and the earlier the Liberal party realizes it, the better. The United States is our biggest trading partner, our most valuable ally and the lifeline of our economy. It’s fine to moan privately over the political antics that take place in Washington, or the mess the country often makes when it tries to reconstruct the world in its own image -- many Americans feel the same way. But the mile-wide streak of virulent anti-Americanism Liberals love to indulge in is puerile, embarrassing, harmful to Canada’s interests and every bit as ignorant as anything George Bush ever got up to. The United States is not Washington, just as Canada, thank God, is not Ottawa; judging the entire country based on who happens to occupy the White House only betrays the shallowness of the person making the judgment.Think smaller
Liberals appear to have abandoned the notion that ideas count. They got stuck with the Green Shift because they had nothing else to offer and because too many Liberals still think the path to victory is via some big-spending social policy extravaganza that will wow the nation. The new Medicare! The new pension plan! A cure for poverty! Forget it: what Canada needs is good government, strong management, a sound economy and the ability to finance steady, incremental progress. Take the time to prove you can do that and you’ll be surprised how willing people are to listen.Don’t be in such a hurry
Stephane Dion hadn’t even made his concession speech before would-be successors were being interviewd about their intentions. In the days since, critics have poured from the woodwork, suddenly eager to denounce him after remaining silent for the better part of two years, desperate to dump him as fast as possible so the next saviour can take his place. What’s the rush? The Liberal party’s lust for power is perhaps it’s least redeeming quality. Tom Axworthy was appointed to conduct an exhaustive examination of the party in the wake of the 2004 loss, and did a commendable job of it, but has been all but ignored as the party desperately seeks someone who can topple Stephen Harper by any means possible. Despite what you’ve been telling Canadians, the country won’t collapse in ruin under a few years of Conservative rule. Use it to your advantage. Learn something for a change.
National Post -->

BYE BYE

So now the race beginnings. Is this a sign for the riding of Riversdale that we the people will be looking at new MLA too. I am sure it will happen but when. Some people ask me if I am running again I am not sure I am going to talk to love ones and friends. To see if they will support me. With man power and Money. To run it takes money. But I know one thing that we in Riversdale needs a strong voice in the Regina. Please no more Premiers or NDP leader in this riding. We need just a hard working MLA.... No matter which party. Here is story below:
Calvert resigning....

Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix.com
Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
If the universe unfolds as it should, former premier Lorne Calvert will be announcing his resignation as provincial NDP leader Thursday.
People in a position to know say there will be an invitation-only event at TCU Place, where Calvert will make a sendoff address.
There is no great surprise in this. Having suffered a decisive defeat in the last provincial election, it was never in the cards that Calvert would lead the party into another vote.

This news will only formalize what everyone knew was coming. Calvert himself has never suggested that he would stay on, although he has been indefinite about when he might decide to turn over the reins to someone else.
The timing is good now because it will give the party almost eight months to prepare for a leadership convention next June.
The question now is who is best positioned to replace Calvert, given the political landscape the NDP faces over the next few years.
Experienced players within the party assume Saskatchewan Party Premier Brad Wall is likely to stay in office for at least two terms. This is because the Saskatchewan economy looks like it will fare relatively well during the next few years, in spite of global economic uncertainty.
In addition, Wall remains popular with the voters after his first year in office and has so far avoided major political disasters. He has not embarked on any wild adventures outside of the party's election platform, making it hard for the opposition to come up with compelling reasons for a change after only one term.
In fact, there is a possibility Wall and the Saskatchewan Party can eat further into the NDP's urban dominance while maintaining their grip on the rural vote. If that begins to happen, then the future for the NDP in Saskatchewan could begin to look rather bleak for an extended period of time.
The immediate challenge for the party is to hold on to the 20 seats they have. If you look at the situation in that light, the party has two options. It can select a leader for the long term in the hopes of unseating Wall in 2015, or it can pick someone who can fight a strong, defensive action during the next three years and then step aside after the next election.
Perhaps the best way to solve this riddle is identifying who will not run. Some of the obvious choices who have opted out include former cabinet minister Eric Cline, now a senior executive with Shore Gold, and longtime MLA Pat Atkinson.
However, there are some names that keep cropping up. Rookie MLA Cam Broten is one. He performed well in his first outing in the legislature, but at 30, he is still young and relatively inexperienced. Former justice minister Frank Quennell has not ruled out a run at the leadership, and is said to be thinking it over. And despite her protestations to the contrary, former health minister Louise Simard may yet be enticed to enter the fray.
But the bulk of the speculation centres on Dwain Lingenfelter, the former deputy premier in the Romanow administration who is now a vice-president with Nexen Inc. in Calgary.
There is no doubt he has the skills. Lingenfelter is a talented political operator with long experience in both government and opposition. He is also tough as nails and has the debating skills to make life in the legislature difficult for Wall.
He might also be able to cobble together a convincing attack against the Sask. Party on several fronts. One prong of this would be on social policy. For example, the NDP would like to build on the Station 20 West issue here in Saskatoon by painting the Sask. Party as being indifferent to the problems of low-income people.
This might be a hard sell in light of all the social spending Wall has done, but that would be the starting point. Secondly, Lingenfelter could argue the Saskatchewan government is giving away our resources at fire sale prices. Even Alberta has raised resource royalties, so why would Saskatchewan promise no change for three terms of government? Over time, that line of attack might bear fruit.
In spite of all this, Lingenfelter remains a polarizing figure within the NDP. The left wing of the party wants no part of him and would mount a pitched battle to stop him. Thus a coronation seems out of the question, and there is some question whether Lingenfelter is interested in competing for a contested leadership.
There is also some question about why he would want the job. Given that the prospects for the NDP of winning the next election are slim, it could mean Lingenfelter would be spending a minimum of seven years in opposition, a daunting prospect for a man who turns 60 next year.
Or could he be convinced to come in just long enough to save the party from annihilation in the next election? Under this scenario, he comes in for one term, fights the good fight, leaves the party in better shape than he found it and retires.
That might be wishful thinking, but there's no doubt the game is afoot. It all begins in earnest with Calvert's retirement speech Thursday

If you are Mad at Harper See Red>

October 13
Mad a Harper see Red
Entry for October 13, 2008

ELECTION DAY IS: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
My Guess
All seats

Total seats in the House of commons 308
Conservative Party of Canada 102
Liberal Party of Canada 101
Bloc Québécois PArty 53
New Democratic Party 50
Party Green Party 2

WORLD BYE, BYE

TSN.CA
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - Canada's road to the 2010 World Cup ended with a 3-1 loss in Honduras on Saturday night, extending a men's soccer drought that dates back to 1986.
The defeat was the third straight for Dale Mitchell's team, which has managed just one draw in four outings in a tough group in this round of CONCACAF qualifying. The Canadian men have two games remaining, including a date Wednesday in Edmonton with Mexico, but they are meaningless.
Defender Andrew Hainault appeared to throw Canada (0-3-1) a lifeline in the 54th minute after Rob Friend's header from an Iain Hume free kick hit the crossbar then bounced off the onrushing Hainault's thigh into the goal. A tie would have kept Canada's razor-thin chances of qualification alive - at least temporarily.
But Carlo Costly's spectacular long-range rocket into the top right corner beat Lars Hirschfeld to make it 2-1 in the 65th minute and prolong the World Cup misery for the Canadian men. Hendry Thomas rubbed salt in the wound with a close-range header in injury time.
Walter Martinez opened the scoring for Honduras (3-1-0) in the ninth minute.
Elsewhere in Group 2, Jamaica (1-2-1) used a 14th-minute goal by Ricardo Fuller to upset visiting Mexico (3-1-0) 1-0 to remain alive and delay the Mexicans' progress to the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Honduras and Mexico are tied atop Group 2 with nine points, five ahead of Jamaica and eight ahead of Canada. With only six points left on the table, the Canadians can finish with no more than seven.
In other action Saturday, the U.S. (6-1 over Cuba) and Costa Rica (4-1 over Suriname) won to book their tickets to the final six in CONCACAF. Three of those will make the 2010 World Cup in South America while a fourth will meet a South American side in a playoff to see who joins them.
Canada is ranked fifth in CONCACAF and 84th in the world, compared to 50th for Honduras (third in CONCACAF). But it has not made it to the World Cup finals since 1986 when it failed to win a game or score a goal.
There was an early scare for Canada at the Estadio Olimpico when Hirschfeld let a ball dribble right through him but the play was called offside. Martinez scored for real just minutes later. A through ball from Toronto FC star Amado Guevara, after a lengthy period of Honduras possession, split the Canadian defence and reached Wilson Palacios whose close-range cross was poked home by Martinez.
The goal aroused the Canadians, who had a good spell but failed to test the Honduran goalkeeper. But as the half wore on, the Central Americans patiently passed the ball around and dominated possession with Guevara pulling the strings from midfield.
The Canadians brought on Hume and Friend to bolster the attack and the two played a key role in setting up the Canadian goal. Palacios had a chance to make it 3-1 in the 81st minute but shot wide after taking a through ball that sliced open the Canadian defence again.
Canada continued to threaten on set pieces in the second half and Friend got his head to a late corner but the ball never made it through a tangle of bodies.
The Canadians were missing key players in suspended attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and defender Adrian Serioux and injured midfielder Julian de Guzman. They also arrived in Honduras on the heels of controversy with Toronto FC captain Jim Brennan, not selected by Mitchell, saying he would no longer play for the national team under the current coach.
As in other recent qualifying attempts, an inability to collect points at home hurt the Canadians, who have managed just point out of six on home soil this time around. Canada opened this qualifying round with a 1-1 tie with Jamaica in Toronto before losing 2-1 to Honduras in Montreal and 2-1 in Mexico.

what is all about?

I got this of Kelly block web site what is this all about?

FORMER NDP CABINET MINISTER SUPPORTS KELLY!!

âKelly Block has my full support as the Conservative Candidate in Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar. Kelly is strong, proven leadership in municipal government and on the Health Board will be an asset when serving the residents of the riding. Carol TeichrobFormer NDP Cabinet Minister &Â Kelly Block Supporter

வாட் இஸ் திஸ்

Questions For Monday AM

Here are some rants!

One Week to go! Who is going to a win is it Stephan or Stephen or Eliz or Jack ... It is crazy now these political guys and gals are targeting woman because they make 50% of the population. The women voter also moves more to the issues than men do. Then are polls saying the liberals will be in 3rd some say 2nd. Who knows.... PQ leader said " I am going to be PM either 3 of you " ouch the truth hurts.

The stock market is going down how is that going to effect Saskatchewan ?

Has our economy has been speared out enough for us to not get hit to hard.

There are jobs in Saskatchewan every where you go Help wanted ?

More red light camera in the city .. The city is putting one on a corner that some one got killed on a little to late.

More knifes in the city they are a weapon the gangs are using.

The saying below fits todays world really well.

Brickwalls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.” - Dr. Randy Posh