The Conservative Record?

Straight outta Conservative Central, this is an edition of The Conservative Record? where we compare what they claim on conservative.ca, versus actual facts! Let's hold Tory smoke-and-mirrors up to the light to see what's really inside them eggs.

Note to self: I selectively cut-and-paste from the linked page because I don't have enough time in the day to argue every point that they selectively chose to make.

The Conservative Record?
> Lowest unemployment rate in 33 years.

The Truth!
> Yesterday, the Conference Board of Canada forecast that Canada's unemployment rate will boost to more than 8 per cent from 6.6 per cent last month.

The Conservative Record?
> Canadian job growth is overwhelmingly in high-quality, high-paying jobs like printing manufacturing, heavy and civil engineering construction, electrical equipment appliance manufacturing and mining.

The Truth!
> Yesterday, the Conference Board of Canada forecast that Canada will lose a net total of 175,000 jobs this year. 90,000 job losses in manufacturing is not job growth.

The Conservative Record?
> More than $37 billion of the National Debt paid off.

The Truth!
> Mr. Harper suggested the deficit could be up to $40-billion this month. With one budget, Harper more than erases years of "fiscal management".

The Conservative Record?
> Canada has the most resilient economy in the G7. And we alone in the G7 have kept our budget in surplus”.

The Truth!
> $40 billion deficit.

Thank you for listening to this edition of The Conservative Record?

Tune in next time when conservative.ca makes fiction fun again!

Taber vs Baird

Taber vs Baird, not the title fight of today's Question Period, but sort of an inverted diamond-in-the-rough of what turned out to be the Obama edition of CTV's QP.

The tenacious and fiscally-responsible? Minister of Transport, Mr. John Baird said on QP earlier today, we're spending "...literally billions and billions of dollars in each province and we're going to be doubling that." Billions in EACH province? Minimum $6 billion in Quebec (more or less?) plus at least $1 billion in each other province is $15 billion (this could easily be a lot higher, but I'm just going off Baird's words). Baird promises twice as much spending, so let's double down on that 15! Now his one department is spending another $15 billion (minimum) plus augmented spending in close ridings, I'm sure. I wonder how did Harper ever get away with pretending he would never run a deficit?

John Baird's mandate comes directly from the Prime Minister, which, as he said, is to make things happen. Which must be a variety of things, taking from how many times he used the word "variety" to describe what they are actually doing. Spending on a variety of things here and a various things there. He also wants support for the Tory agenda - yet Mr. Harper is taking a conciliatory approach for the next parliament. Maybe, Mr. Baird is no longer reading the Tory interoffice memos.

Mr. Baird, who usually never lets other people control the topic of conversation, appeared extremely nervous and was rushing through his answers. He seemed to be scared that Jane might ask him an "out of the park home-run" question, but, in her usual Jane-trademarked scripted line of questioning, she tries to stick him with some tough ones, but her rebuttals and follow-ups are weak and Lunesta-inspired.

Baird wins by split decision.

Hockey Crazy

It's been awhile since I've been writing on the chalkboard here. Working and studying too much, keeps me glued to the desk for far too long. My freedom arrived when I managed to watch a lot of the World Junior Hockey Championship! Oh glory days. I am amazed how great our Canadian boys are - they are a true inspiration. Congratulations to each of them for a well deserved victory.

Now, my return here was basically spurred on by Mr. Harper and his dismal enthusiasm while attending a fantastic game. I saw his image literally burn into my TV set and I thought wow, Mr. Funbags, the self professed "hockey nut", is taking time out of drafting the next budget to attend a photo op. That photo of him (not at the tournament) screams "proud to be Canadian" - look his son is a Leafs fan. What fun! High five.

I even found a quote on the PM's website “This event is great for the future of hockey in Canada and is a real treat for hockey fans around the world." Sure, it's great for hockey IN Canada, we're beating the crap out of other countries in our national sport. I love that the PM released this shortly *after* Canada beat Kazakhstan 15-nil; what a treat it is, to be out scored in the tournament 46-2!

Oh well - I suppose he would have actually worn Team Canada colours if they weren't so Liberal.