1. Afghanistan War
We should have recognized sooner that this is an war that can't be won. By anyone. The money spent on the military upgrade after years of neglect is justified but it should now be redirected to coastal and northern security.
2. Taxation
a) The government should have never said that they were going to leave income trusts alone. While it was the right thing to do to tax them ( due to cross border leakage of billions) the way they handled it cost seniors.
b) They should have reduced income taxes further instead of the GST rate.
c) They should tax unions as the same as any other big business and subject them to the same public disclosures as any public company has.
d) they should be more public on HST what the objectives are and why they are recommending it to provinces.
3. Fiscal
a) We should not have bailed out GM, Chrysler and the CAW without demanding more of the upside if the bailout works and first investigating expanding support to Toyota and Honda to encourage job creation there. Or even better, incentives to other Canadian manufacturers, particularly in Ontario.
b) Should not have bailed to political pressure from the Libs and NDP to throw money around like drunken sailors in the spring of this year. There will be endless scandals, when this is all over, as a result of speed overriding fiscal prudence and procedure.
Meaningful infrastructure projects cannot be turned off and on in the space of weeks or even months. This was a perfect opportunity to address the Canadian electrical power grid - I know , I know its a provincial matter but you can't leave it to the "Flick-Off" crowd to fix. Second choice would be health care infrastructure - more of a boost than was announced.
You had a free shot on goal here and you spent on what the other parties wanted. In other words you blew it badly.
c) Bank of Canada- to the extent possible they should have exerted pressure on the Bank of Canada to trash the Canadian dollar sooner ( not sure how much practical influence the government actually has here as they are supposedly independent).
Other
a) Isn't it time we had more of a definitive statement on the environment. Something complete with pollution reduction strategies and plans that people can understand and agree with instead of the usual broad political rhetoric. Its obvious you are trying to avoid it - 'fess up. The Don Quioxte windmill scheme of Dalton's is pathetic when promises to close Nanticoke have been repeatedly broken. The whole area needs Federal guidance and I don't mean a federal cap and trade or a carbon tax. At least not in isolation of a comphrehensive strategy that isn't going to exacerbate the problems business already has.
b) Enough with the ads. While its important to stimulate confidence and therefore spending at some point this becomes a little jaded doesn't it ?
c) I thought I knew what the plan with the senate was. Have you changed it because the Libs blocked your first try ? Why are you seemingly giving up ?
d) You tried sucking up to Quebec and then blew it in the last election when you said you were cutting spending so they thought they weren't going to get any further handouts for RDS and Place des Arts and the annual wooden spoon music festival. So what is the plan ? Dilute their influence by creating more seats elsewhere ? Fish or cut bait.
e) What are the current immigration policies ? What are the objectives? Have we in fact speeded up processing.
f) Federal guidance on private medical clinics is needed. I know this is political suicide without a majority but please grow some balls. Paying for MRI's and knee joints isn't going to mean I won't also pay for OJ's prescription meds or his prostate exam once a year. Again you can wimp out and say its provincial.
Better than expected - John Baird. Worse than expected - Bernier
We should have recognized sooner that this is an war that can't be won. By anyone. The money spent on the military upgrade after years of neglect is justified but it should now be redirected to coastal and northern security.
2. Taxation
a) The government should have never said that they were going to leave income trusts alone. While it was the right thing to do to tax them ( due to cross border leakage of billions) the way they handled it cost seniors.
b) They should have reduced income taxes further instead of the GST rate.
c) They should tax unions as the same as any other big business and subject them to the same public disclosures as any public company has.
d) they should be more public on HST what the objectives are and why they are recommending it to provinces.
3. Fiscal
a) We should not have bailed out GM, Chrysler and the CAW without demanding more of the upside if the bailout works and first investigating expanding support to Toyota and Honda to encourage job creation there. Or even better, incentives to other Canadian manufacturers, particularly in Ontario.
b) Should not have bailed to political pressure from the Libs and NDP to throw money around like drunken sailors in the spring of this year. There will be endless scandals, when this is all over, as a result of speed overriding fiscal prudence and procedure.
Meaningful infrastructure projects cannot be turned off and on in the space of weeks or even months. This was a perfect opportunity to address the Canadian electrical power grid - I know , I know its a provincial matter but you can't leave it to the "Flick-Off" crowd to fix. Second choice would be health care infrastructure - more of a boost than was announced.
You had a free shot on goal here and you spent on what the other parties wanted. In other words you blew it badly.
c) Bank of Canada- to the extent possible they should have exerted pressure on the Bank of Canada to trash the Canadian dollar sooner ( not sure how much practical influence the government actually has here as they are supposedly independent).
Other
a) Isn't it time we had more of a definitive statement on the environment. Something complete with pollution reduction strategies and plans that people can understand and agree with instead of the usual broad political rhetoric. Its obvious you are trying to avoid it - 'fess up. The Don Quioxte windmill scheme of Dalton's is pathetic when promises to close Nanticoke have been repeatedly broken. The whole area needs Federal guidance and I don't mean a federal cap and trade or a carbon tax. At least not in isolation of a comphrehensive strategy that isn't going to exacerbate the problems business already has.
b) Enough with the ads. While its important to stimulate confidence and therefore spending at some point this becomes a little jaded doesn't it ?
c) I thought I knew what the plan with the senate was. Have you changed it because the Libs blocked your first try ? Why are you seemingly giving up ?
d) You tried sucking up to Quebec and then blew it in the last election when you said you were cutting spending so they thought they weren't going to get any further handouts for RDS and Place des Arts and the annual wooden spoon music festival. So what is the plan ? Dilute their influence by creating more seats elsewhere ? Fish or cut bait.
e) What are the current immigration policies ? What are the objectives? Have we in fact speeded up processing.
f) Federal guidance on private medical clinics is needed. I know this is political suicide without a majority but please grow some balls. Paying for MRI's and knee joints isn't going to mean I won't also pay for OJ's prescription meds or his prostate exam once a year. Again you can wimp out and say its provincial.
Better than expected - John Baird. Worse than expected - Bernier
