This bater guy gets media!

Bater raises questionJuly 21, 2009 I'm glad to see in new Liberal leader Ryan Bater's letter, Tolerance just first
step (SP, July 15), that there's nothing liberal about the Saskatchewan Party. ... Tolerance just first stepJuly 15, 2009 ... What we do know, however, is that there is absolutely nothing liberal about
the Saskatchewan Party. Ryan Bater. Leader, Sask. Liberals. Sask. Party's loss is Liberal's gainJuly 03, 2009 ... Liberal Leader Ryan Bater said Gelowitz's defection shows the party, which has no
seats in the legislature, is on the right track as he emphasizes themes of ... Grits pick Riversdale candidateJuly 02, 2009 ... Liberal Leader Ryan Bater was also on hand to sign the party's declaration
regarding aboriginal issues. If elected, the Liberals ... Liberals name Riversdale byelection candidateJuly 01, 2009 ... Liberal leader Ryan Bater was also on hand to sign the party’s declaration
regarding aboriginal issues. If elected, the Liberals ... Liberal leader Bater hits the road in rented RVJune 27, 2009 ... the legislature. Ryan Bater is getting all Kerouac-like this month, or
as Kerouac-like as you can be in a motorhome. The rookie ... Cabinet ministers nervous as shuffle loomsMay 23, 2009 ... Rookie Saskatchewan Liberal Leader Ryan Bater is using some intellectual big guns
as he tries to reposition -- or maybe re-reposition -- his party as the ...

Small steps are being taken

We are in this all together and now it is time to grow this party.

Here is an example of how. Happy Brithday Canada

Saskatchewan Liberal Leader Ryan Bater Makes Commitment to First Nations & Métis People
June 30, 2009
Former Saskatchewan Party Candidate to Run for Liberals in Riversdale By-Election

Saskatoon – Today Saskatchewan Liberal Leader Ryan Bater welcomed the selection of Eileen Gelowitz as the candidate for the Saskatchewan Liberals in the upcoming Saskatoon-Riversdale by-election. Mrs. Gelowitz, a long-time resident of Riversdale and activist for her community, was the Saskatchewan Party’s candidate in Saskatoon-Fairview during the 2007 provincial election.

“In recent months I have become increasingly disillusioned with the Saskatchewan Party and the lack of leadership by Premier Brad Wall and his government in tackling the core issues facing First Nations and Métis people – creating sustainable communities and individuals which ensures that everyone participates in supporting Saskatchewan.” said Gelowitz. “I have been truly impressed by the leadership and new direction for the Saskatchewan Liberals that Ryan Bater has put in place and this has convinced me to return home to the Liberals as I continue to work to improve my community”.

Ryan Bater also expressed his support for a new approach in partnering with First Nations and Métis people. “From my years of experience working with the First Nations and Métis community when I was the manager of the Battlefords Regional Economic Development Authority, I have seen far too often that our Aboriginal people are viewed as a ‘solution’ to labour and economic problems in the province instead of as individuals who should be empowered to pursue their own dreams,” said Bater. “It is time for the paternalistic approach of provincial governments of all political stripes to end”.

At the nomination meeting, Bater signed a commitment to the First Nations and Métis people of Saskatchewan that included the following three points:

1) Using the Treaties as a blueprint for future partnerships with First Nations and Métis people of Saskatchewan

2) Implementing a representative workforce strategy at all levels of government

3) Creating a Secretariat within the Premier’s Office to directly address First Nations and Métis issues from a whole-of-government perspective

Something Different

This different post for me. I got a a group of questions and statement I have in my mind. That need to be written down. Answer them if you you can for me.

1. Twitter being used to tell the story of Iran and there people.

2. How long can I hang in at work?

3. Is the Saskatchewan Liberals be a force again ? I think so it is going to be a long haul. But It has been fun to be on the ground floor.

4. When will the riders win a Grey Cup again ?

5. Saskatoon is growing will be the new Calgary to big to fast ?

6. Will the paladins win a championship again?

7. When will people of learn the CRTC rules and know that if you are in Market reseach you can call them.

8. When will we as planet learn to take care of Mother earth ? There is climate change happening.

9. When will Saskatoon drivers learn that those who walk cross across the street in the cross walks have the right way.

10. When will we as a planet learn that we have to take care of this earth?

Do we need a string around things?

Oops there goes another rubber tree plant:


June 9, 2009 by roto2027 Some times the staffer is only as good as the Member they serve. Something the member seems to be thick that is when the staffers have to better than the member. Expertly when you working for a cabinet minister. Please read this tell what you think?

Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt, left, and her former press secretary, Jasmine MacDonnell, are seen leaving a news conference in Ottawa last month. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

‘An unfortunate choice of wording,’ PM’s spokesman says of Raitt recording
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 |CBC NewsIt’s embarrassing that Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt referred to the medical isotope shortage as “sexy” in an audio recording, but the prime minister remains confident she can handle her duties, says Stephen Harper’s chief spokesman.

“It’s an unfortunate choice of wording in a recording — that is one word in 5½ hours of tape recording,” said Kory Teneycke. “I don’t think anybody would use a word like that to describe it in public. This was a private conversation.”

In an audio recording made public by the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, Raitt discusses the medical isotope shortage with her former head of communications, Jasmine MacDonnell, during a car ride the two shared in Victoria on Jan. 30.

In the recording, MacDonnell said the isotope issue is “confusing to a lot of people.”

“But it’s sexy,” Raitt said. “Radioactive leaks. Cancer.”

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Gerald Moir rejected an injunction application by MacDonnell on Monday that was aimed at blocking the newspaper from publishing a story about the recording, which was made inadvertently.

MacDonnell, who resigned as Raitt’s head of communications last week amid an uproar over lost documents, reportedly later left the recorder at an Ottawa media event and did not return calls aimed at trying to turn it.

Teneycke said the government did not participate in trying to block the release of the tape.

Moir ruled it was not a private conversation because of the people involved. He also said it was wrong to deprive the media of the information, given that the medical isotope shortage is a public-interest issue, and a matter of life and death for many cancer patients.

“No one in this government or in the Conservative party provided financial support … nor … would we ever advise someone to block this,” Teneycke said.

‘A very embarrassing situation’
Teneycke said Raitt’s comments about Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq will be resolved between the two privately.

“It’s a very embarrassing situation, clearly, to have a private conversation like this in the public realm,” he said.

On the recording, Raitt expressed doubts about the abilities of Aglukkaq, to handle “hot” issues, saying her staff “is trying to shield her.”

Raitt’s office issued a statement on Monday night saying the minister has personally called Aglukkaq to apologize.

Teneycke added Harper has confidence in both ministers and their ability to handle the isotope shortage issue. He said the prime minister has not spoken with Raitt since the recording was released, nor has she attempted to resign.

Raitt offered her resignation to Harper last week after it was revealed documents related to Canada’s nuclear industry were left behind at CTV’s Ottawa news bureau for almost a week without anyone in the government noticing.

Scarce supply of isotopes
Opposition parties have lambasted Raitt over her handling of the shutdown of the Crown company-operated nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ont., which usually produces up to a third of the world’s medical isotopes.

The shutdown has left doctors and medical researchers scrambling for a scarce supply from the world’s four other isotope-producing reactors.

Medical isotopes — tiny radioactive particles that can be injected into the body — have become the standard treatment for some cancers and have brought medical imaging to new levels.

In the recording, Raitt said, “You know what solves this problem? Money. And if it’s just about money, we’ll figure it out. It’s not a moral issue.”

Teneycke said he disagreed that the problems at the aging nuclear reactor were just about money.

“If you had all the money in the world, you couldn’t build a new nuclear reactor in the kind of timelines that we’re dealing with to try to get isotope production up and running again,” he said

The Link is back: OMG it is back to the future!

Link takes NDP reins

Lingenfelter becomes leader on second ballot; Party tensions evident amongst convention-goers

By James Wood, The StarPhoenix, Angela Hall, Saskatchewan News Network, The StarPhoenix; Saskatchewan News NetworkJune 8, 2009 8:15 AMBe the first to post a comment

Dwain Lingenfelter speaks Saturday after winning the NDP leadership race
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, The Leader-Post, The StarPhoenix; Saskatchewan News NetworkNewly crowned NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter will begin to put his own stamp on the Opposition even as he works to unify a divided party after a sometimes-fractious leadership race and convention.

The former deputy premier won the party's leadership Saturday with 55 per cent of the vote on a second ballot showdown against Saskatoon doctor and political newcomer Ryan Meili.

Meili had picked up the support of the other two candidates in the race, Regina lawyer Yens Pedersen and Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Deb Higgins, after the first ballot.

One day later, there were signs of some of the tensions that exist within the party, with Lingenfelter facing criticism from the convention floor from long-time stalwart of the NDP left Don Mitchell over whether he would respect the anti-nuclear position adopted by delegates.

And at one point, Lingenfelter could be seen heatedly talking to Meili about the actions of a Meili volunteer as the two rivals headed behind closed doors for a meeting.

Lingenfelter later downplayed the incident, saying it stemmed from some "strong words" between himself and the volunteer over the nuclear issue.

While there are always hard feelings after a campaign, said Lingenfelter, he was pleased with how quickly the party was coming together.

"I really believe this party is far bigger than Dwain Lingenfelter or the other three candidates. At the end of the day, you can hear and feel from this crowd, what they want is unity and they want unity so they can run against Brad Wall in the next election," he told reporters as the convention wrapped.

Lingenfelter, who had the backing of 11 members of the 20 MLA Opposition caucus, will meet today with the man he replaced, Lorne Calvert, about issues such as caucus organization and responsibilities.

An announcement could also come as soon as today about which Regina legislature seat will be vacated for Lingenfelter to contest. Speculation has focused especially on the Regina Douglas Park constituency held by long-time MLA Harry Van Mulligen, as well as Regina Coronation Park and Regina Dewdney. Regina Northeast MLA Ron Harper said Sunday he would not be stepping down.

Meili is also expected to announce today whether he will contest the nomination for the byelection in the Saskatoon Riversdale seat that will be exited by Calvert at the end of the month.

Meili, whose strong showing was the surprise of the race, said there is a breach in the NDP but involving members in setting party policy will be the key to healing its wounds.

"When you have 45 per cent voting ultimately for one candidate . . . and 55 per cent for the other, clearly there are some strong differences of opinion among the membership. So there's going to be a lot of work to do to try and find the balance among those differences of opinion. I'm going to be part of that process," he said in an interview Sunday.

MAJOR POLICY REVIEW

Lingenfelter said again Sunday he wants to see a major policy review beginning this fall and culminating in a convention next year as part of the party renewal process that must take place.

"Everybody's views are going to count," he said.

But Mitchell, who ran federally for the NDP in 2008, said he was concerned about comments made by Lingenfelter Friday over a resolution that had passed opposing construction of a reactor and favouring alternative energies.

Lingenfelter -- whose past support of nuclear development in Saskatchewan had been one of the major dividing lines in the campaign -- had said the policy forum would help further define the NDP's position on such matters prior to the next provincial election.

On Sunday, he said again that the party's policy on nuclear development will be set by members, whatever his personal views.

But nuclear power wasn't the biggest bump on the road for Lingenfelter as he attempted his political comeback.

The 60-year-old had served as a cabinet minister under both Allan Blakeney and Roy Romanow but had retired from politics to become an executive with energy company Nexen in Calgary in 2000.

While the first candidate in the race and the presumptive front-runner from the start, Lingenfelter took a hit from a controversy over 1,100 improper memberships purchased by his campaign on two Meadow Lake First Nations. Pedersen called for him to resign from the race over the membership imbroglio and Lingenfelter faced increasing fire from the other campaigns as the race continued.

By the time of Saturday's tally, the vast majority of votes -- 8,793 -- had been cast in advance by mail, telephone or Internet using preferential ballots. Including the number of NDP members who voted in real time on Saturday, there were 9,444 votes on the first ballot and 9,130 on the second. There were 13,051 eligible voters.

With Higgins, the only sitting MLA in the race, bumped as the last-place finisher on the first ballot and third-place finisher Pedersen withdrawing voluntarily, Meili's vote count jumped by just over 1,700 from the first to second ballots while Lingenfelter's increased by just over 600.

At the convention, Lingenfelter stressed, as he had done throughout the campaign, his battle-readiness for the 2011 provincial election.

But Saskatchewan Party Environment Minister Nancy Heppner told reporters Saturday that Lingenfelter, who was first elected in 1978, hearkens back to a past that provincial residents aren't looking to return to.

As well, there is a clear fissure in the NDP that the party has to address, she said.

"I think it's going to be an interesting campaign in 2011. Obviously we are not taking anything for granted; I don't think any party should. So we'll be working hard leading up to 2011 to have a good record to present to the people."

jwood@sp.canwest.com

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Anyone who tells you we can't win an election with 20 excellent MLAs and a team that's fired up and a union movement that is committed to defeating a government . . . doesn't know what they're talking about.

"I want you to go back to your constituencies knowing victory is possible, but it's possible if we work. And believe me, we don't deserve to win unless we do the work that's needed . . .

"Together we can win and will win and must win in order to keep our tradition and the whole idea of socialist principles alive in this province. This next election is crucial and I ask you and beg you to do that work and we will be victorious."

--New NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter in his closing remarks to delegates Sunday

I've known Link for a very long time. He's been dedicated, he's compassionate, he's focused on getting the job done and I know he's going to provide very strong opposition to Premier Wall. I remember a meeting we had in my office. We talked about energy policy, how we can move towards a more sustainable energy future. He's got the experience, he's got a strong vision for Saskatchewan."

--Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, in his speech to delegates Sunday, on Lingenfelter

Of course I'm disappointed, too. But some of you said you would be so disappointed that you'd go so far as to rip up your memberships. It's to those people in particular that I want to speak because I really don't want you to do that. I won't be doing that. We really are in this together and we need to stay in this together."

--Saskatoon doctor Ryan Meili to the crowd after his second-place finish was announced Saturday

Some believe we can make speeches about recruiting more trade unionists, more farmers and more women as candidates for our party but then are appalled if anyone who has worked with their hands or worked on their feet presumes to seek leadership."

--Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Deb Higgins, a former grocery clerk and labour leader, addressing attacks on her candidacy in her final pitch to voters Saturday morning

Our members have great ideas but someone needs to listen to them. I have listened to them. People across this province have been talking about our values, our morality, our core beliefs that shape this party . . . our party has always been based on integrity and compassion and equality."

--Regina lawyer Yens Pedersen, calling for the party to rebuild under "democratic socialist" principles in his Saturday speech

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

This caught my eye tonight!

Deficit to top $50B this year: Flaherty
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 | 5:43 PM ET Comments418Recommend116CBC News
The federal deficit will soar to more than $50 billion this fiscal year, setting a dubious record far eclipsing the bad old deficit days of the early 1990s.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced Tuesday that the government's shortfall will be more than $16 billion higher in 2009-2010 than he forecast in January's budget.

"We will run a substantial short-term deficit this year which I would estimate at more than $50 billion," Flaherty said.

"We are going through a deeper economic slowdown than anticipated. The systemic stabilizers that we have automatically — more employment insurance, a couple of billion dollars, plus more, and lower taxes — are to be expected during a recession, which we are seeing.

"We also have the substantial auto payments that are going to be required."

The massive revision comes just a month after Flaherty said he was not changing his forecast.

Government had touted surpluses
January's federal budget predicted five years of deficits with a shortfall of $64 billion over the next two years — a figure that will now climb to more than $80 billion.

Just two months before that, the government was touting years of surpluses in its fall economic update.

On Monday, Flaherty revealed for the first time that the deep recession is wreaking havoc on the government treasury and will cause the deficit to balloon "substantially more" than projected.

He said the recession has hurt government revenues from personal and corporate taxes and raised spending requirements.

Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page had said the budget forecast was too rosy. He released a report in March predicting it would be at least $9 billion higher than anticipated over the first two years.

TD Bank chief economist Don Drummond, a former senior finance official, went even further, saying the shortfall would be about $18 billion more.

During Tuesday's question period in the House of Commons, NDP Leader Jack Layton said the record deficit was the result of the Conservatives' "reckless" tax cuts for banks and big oil companies.

"The Conservatives have now created the largest deficit we’ve seen in the history of Canada, worse than Brian Mulroney’s, for heaven’s sakes, and what [have] they got to show for it? Four-hundred-thousand people thrown out of work," Layton told the House.

In response, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said one of the reasons for the growing deficit is because of all the assistance the government has provided to unemployed Canadians through EI and retraining.

He noted Layton was willing to drop his demands to reverse the corporate tax cuts to enter in a potential coalition government with the Liberals late last year.

"We have the opposition parties … coming in and saying, ‘Well, the deficit is too large, why don’t you spend more?’" the prime minister said, pointing to the other side of the House.

"Mr. Speaker, what is absolutely clear, during the last election and every day since, is that there’s not a person over there that has a single clue what to do about the economy."

Why are two together in my head?

Entry for May 15, 2009
May 15
Church leaders to judge oilsands morality ....Party report clears Lingenfelter in memberships fiasco
Going thru the newspaper this AM . I saw these stories caught my attention. These are intersting stories. It is strange these two story go hand in hand in some way. In mind. What do think?Party report clears Lingenfelter in memberships fiascoBy James Wood, TheStarPhoenix.com May 14, 2009Dwain Lingenfelter
Photograph by: SP file photo, SP file photoREGINA – A report commissioned by the NDP has cleared leadership candidate Dwain Lingenfelter in the case of 1,100 irregular party memberships both sold by and paid for by his campaign.


But Bob Hale, the Swift Current lawyer appointed to look into the circumstances that saw band members of the Flying Dust and Waterhen Lake First Nations signed up en masse for NDP memberships without their consent or knowledge, acknowledges he was never able to speak to the volunteer at the centre of the activities.


Lingenfelter, the former deputy premier who had been the perceived front-runner in the leadership race before the controversy erupted, apologized last week for what he said was the work of an “overexuberant volunteer” and a lack of oversight in the campaign.


The NDP cancelled the memberships and appointed Hale to investigate, and with the report released Thursday afternoon at NDP headquarters, Hale backed up Lingenfelter’s version of events.


“There is no evidence that Dwain Lingenfelter or senior members of his campaign knowingly or intentionally participated in a scheme to sell memberships without consent,” wrote Hale, who is speaking to reporters this afternoon.


Hale pins the responsibility on the volunteer, of whom he writes, “one person did try to deceive the party and to abuse the rights of many individuals.”


The report said that the hand-written information regarding names, addresses and birth-year were provided by the volunteer, and the “only possible conclusion” is that the applicant signatures were made by the volunteer himself.


In his report, Hale initially says he will not identify the Meadow Lake volunteer but later refers to him as "Morin."


Hale said the membership applications did not raise any red flags when processed by Lingenfelter campaign workers who were working under time constraints before forwarding them to the NDP provincial office.


“It is patently unreasonable to expect volunteers to take on the obligation of sniffing out fraudulent schemes,” he wrote.


Lingenfelter had defended his campaign’s purchase of the memberships – allowed within party rules – as a response to the hardship of the individuals. It was revealed in Hale’s terms of reference that the memberships had been paid for mostly in small bills, $10s and $20s.


Hale said the decision to pay for the memberships was made by Lingenfelter campaign manager Garry Aldridge and the rationale for paying cash was that it would be easier to process than a single cheque since payment has to be confirmed for each application.


However, Hale notes the NDP provincial office “did not request that individual payments be made for each application and they indicate they can and do process payments with one cheque.”


The question now is whether the report will close the case for Lingenfelter’s three leadership rivals, party members, the public and the Saskatchewan Party, which has been taking aim at Lingenfelter and the NDP each day since the issue arose.


NDP members select their new leader on June 6 in a one-member, one-vote system.


jwood@sp.canwest.com
Church leaders to judge oilsands morality !By Deborah Tetley, Calgary Herald May 15, 2009 8:05 AMA view of Syncrude's extraction and upgrading facility at Mildred Lake, with the Base Mine Lake tailings pond in the foreground.
Photograph by: Dave Cooper, Edmonton Journal, fileCALGARY - Canadian church leaders -- including three from the heart of the oilpatch in Calgary-- will explore moral, ethical and spiritual issues surrounding oilsands development when they travel to northern Alberta next week on a fact-finding mission.

After the visit, delegates say, churches around the country will be better educated to formulate an official stance for their congregations on the environmental impact of oilsands development.

"It is controversial, no doubt in my mind," said Bill Phipps, former moderator of the United Church of Canada, and one of more than a dozen church leaders going on the tour.

"But as Albertans and churchgoers and Canadians we are all implicated in the pros and cons of tarsands development, so it's time someone challenged the public to take a real serious look at the ethical and moral issues, too."

The coalition, called Kairos -- a multi-denominational social justice group--will visit the region from May 21 to 29.

The delegation, including representatives from the Anglican Church of Canada, Mennonite Central Committee, the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, will meet with municipal leaders, environmental groups, oilsands developers and labour groups, Phipps said.

They will also meet aboriginal leaders from Fort Chipewyan, where concerns surrounding polluted water have been raised.

"By talking to this range of people we can help clarify in our own minds what the current and future issues are, and learn how to address them with our congregations,"said Phipps, a retired minister.

The mission comes on the heels of a string of high-profile, negative publicity for the oilsands, including the 1,600 ducks that died on a tailings pond and a scathing examination of the developments by National Geographic magazine.

The Alberta government, meanwhile, is in the midst of a $25-million rebranding campaign, which attracted international attention after it was learned one photograph used was shot in England.

One industry analyst said the timing of the church leaders' trip is not in the government's favour.

"The government is going to have their public relations agenda taken away by this," said Ian Doig, an independent oil and gas industry analyst.

Doig also said the mission to north-ern Alberta by such a wide range of church leaders could deal a blow to an industry already struggling under the weight of the economic downturn.

"This is just another hurdle for them."

Another Calgary delegate, Dana Bush, said all members of the coalition are determined to enter into the weeklong visit with open minds.

She said most Canadians are knowledgeable about the oilsands from a physical and environmental perspective, but not many consider the oilsands in a theological context.

"This is a chance to explore our ethical and spiritual relationship with the land and the people up there and determine what is our responsibility," said Bush, who will be representing Canadian Quakers.

The Kairos delegation, which will also include officials with the Dene Nation in Canada's north, Gitxsan First Nation in British Columbia and Oil Watch International in Nigeria, aims to eventually develop an ecumenical consensus on a series of points.

"But the individual churches, they will also develop their own policies, probably, as a result of this trip," said Sara Stratton, a spokeswoman for Kairos.

"So the United Church, for example, would probably have a period of reflection based on its experience, and the Catholic bishops would have a similar conversation. Depending on the structure of the church, that would filter down or go into a larger dialogue."

With files from Reuters

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service