Rick's Rant (Oct 24th, 2007) Fallow Field Legislation for Newfoundland
So it looks like we (Canada) are going to have another election, again, oh I am relieved that Canada have this minority government so we won't be in the mess U.S. is in right now, and I am glad that I can even vote now, unlike say, had I been in Hong Kong (you can vote for some parts of the government but not the head). Still, it does get annoying, like medicine.
Rick Mercer makes it more tolerable, and understandable. Been digging through the archives since I missed quite a few episodes (Tuesday on CBC at 8pm) before I realise I could catch it on Friday...at 8pm or 8:30?
This reminds me, that I'll probably be voting Dion this election. Had that American Iggy guy won, I would have ended up voting Harper due to the 'devil that's ours' policy (Iggy was in America for decades and wrote as an American, this makes him as American as the American who have lived here for decades and identified as Canadian would be Canadian). Now that I don't have to chose between those two, I'll chose Dion, "But he's from Quebec!", and Quebec is a part of Canada and Dion agrees with that by being in the Liberal party.
...and do watch the video for yourself, in case I made an error while transcribing, because I only checked once afterwards.
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/backissues.php
Rick's Rant for Oct 24, 2007
***** Depending on who you ask, this past week, Newfoundland picked a fight with Ottawa, or Ottawa, picked a fight with Newfoundland, and really, I had no idea who threw the first punch. But, I know this, right now, the relationship between Steven Harper and Danny Williams, is about as friendly as the one between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
Oh it is not good, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised, if at any minute, Danny went totally Paul McCartney on us, and try to stab Harper in the leg with a broken wine glass. Now, mind you, to hear Harper's people tell it, this was a huge triumph for the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister, have the courage to fly down to Newfoundland, and give Danny a smack, which sent a message, to everyone in Atlantic Canada.
...and why? Because Danny, want something called Fallow Field Legislation, and Harper, doesn't want him to have it. Danny, wants to be able to tell oil companies, that if they discover oil in Newfoundland, they've got to use it, or they lose it, because as it stands now, if they discover oil, they don't have to develop it at all, they can sit on that oil forever, like it's some sort of guaranteed RRSP.
This, is an ethic struggle people, this, is the people of Atlantic Canada, versus oil companies in Houston, and I ask you, do you think anyone on god's green earth, believes, that Steven Harper, is going to side with Atlantic Canada on this one? ...and anyways, where does Danny get off thinking, Newfoundland, of all places, can have Fallow Field Legislation, really, where does Danny thinks he is, Alberta? Well maybe he does, because you know what, they've got it in Alberta, in Alberta, if you discover oil, you've got five years, five years and you develop it, or the province tells you to get out of the way, and they find someone who will. But of course, that's Alberta, and in Steven Harper's Canada, Atlantic Canada and Alberta, are treated very differently because as it stands now, oil companies in Alberta make money, by finding oil, and then producing oil. But they can make money in Newfoundland, by finding oil, and producing nothing. And unfortunately, nothing for Newfoundland, that's a principal Steven Harper will fight for. *****
...and yes, Rick Mercer is from Newfoundland, but Harper is from Alberta. Alberta is the oil rich province that can afford quality healthcare while having a very low tax, whereas Newfoundland is practically falling apart at the seams. As a result, a lot of Newfoundlanders, also had to join the army to fund their education...and in the army is where they get screwed again by the rest of Canada, who love peace (and therefore the preservation of life) so much that they underfund the military to the point of our troops having to rely on 20 year old Sea Kings that are 'flying deathtraps' and then there is the second hand ten year old submarines purchased from England thing, ya know, the one that caught on fire and killed a military engineer from Nova Scotia?
So while I appreciate that Harper drew attention to the Arctic security issues (Americans and Russians taking unauthorized shortcuts through our waters and the homes of Inuits), and finally funding the military, well, I am mighty furious at him for turning down the fallow field legislation for Newfoundland. It is indecent of him to not give Newfoundland the choice to chose as Alberta does, especially as Harper is not shy of using the military that drew heavily from Atlantic Canada. Is he going for the 'poverty draft'? Our military does need more numbers especially if we are doing peacekeeping again, but 'poverty draft' or any coercion or deception is not the way, shouldn't Harper be learning from what's happening with the American military in Iraq right now? One of the man who raped the 14 year old Iraqi girl Abeer, and then killed her and her family, has a psychotic personality disorder, and they let him in... Let us do remember that it's not just about numbers, especially in this age of media and terrorism and 'the fury of the locals'.
Rick Mercer makes it more tolerable, and understandable. Been digging through the archives since I missed quite a few episodes (Tuesday on CBC at 8pm) before I realise I could catch it on Friday...at 8pm or 8:30?
This reminds me, that I'll probably be voting Dion this election. Had that American Iggy guy won, I would have ended up voting Harper due to the 'devil that's ours' policy (Iggy was in America for decades and wrote as an American, this makes him as American as the American who have lived here for decades and identified as Canadian would be Canadian). Now that I don't have to chose between those two, I'll chose Dion, "But he's from Quebec!", and Quebec is a part of Canada and Dion agrees with that by being in the Liberal party.
...and do watch the video for yourself, in case I made an error while transcribing, because I only checked once afterwards.
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/backissues.php
Rick's Rant for Oct 24, 2007
***** Depending on who you ask, this past week, Newfoundland picked a fight with Ottawa, or Ottawa, picked a fight with Newfoundland, and really, I had no idea who threw the first punch. But, I know this, right now, the relationship between Steven Harper and Danny Williams, is about as friendly as the one between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
Oh it is not good, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised, if at any minute, Danny went totally Paul McCartney on us, and try to stab Harper in the leg with a broken wine glass. Now, mind you, to hear Harper's people tell it, this was a huge triumph for the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister, have the courage to fly down to Newfoundland, and give Danny a smack, which sent a message, to everyone in Atlantic Canada.
...and why? Because Danny, want something called Fallow Field Legislation, and Harper, doesn't want him to have it. Danny, wants to be able to tell oil companies, that if they discover oil in Newfoundland, they've got to use it, or they lose it, because as it stands now, if they discover oil, they don't have to develop it at all, they can sit on that oil forever, like it's some sort of guaranteed RRSP.
This, is an ethic struggle people, this, is the people of Atlantic Canada, versus oil companies in Houston, and I ask you, do you think anyone on god's green earth, believes, that Steven Harper, is going to side with Atlantic Canada on this one? ...and anyways, where does Danny get off thinking, Newfoundland, of all places, can have Fallow Field Legislation, really, where does Danny thinks he is, Alberta? Well maybe he does, because you know what, they've got it in Alberta, in Alberta, if you discover oil, you've got five years, five years and you develop it, or the province tells you to get out of the way, and they find someone who will. But of course, that's Alberta, and in Steven Harper's Canada, Atlantic Canada and Alberta, are treated very differently because as it stands now, oil companies in Alberta make money, by finding oil, and then producing oil. But they can make money in Newfoundland, by finding oil, and producing nothing. And unfortunately, nothing for Newfoundland, that's a principal Steven Harper will fight for. *****
...and yes, Rick Mercer is from Newfoundland, but Harper is from Alberta. Alberta is the oil rich province that can afford quality healthcare while having a very low tax, whereas Newfoundland is practically falling apart at the seams. As a result, a lot of Newfoundlanders, also had to join the army to fund their education...and in the army is where they get screwed again by the rest of Canada, who love peace (and therefore the preservation of life) so much that they underfund the military to the point of our troops having to rely on 20 year old Sea Kings that are 'flying deathtraps' and then there is the second hand ten year old submarines purchased from England thing, ya know, the one that caught on fire and killed a military engineer from Nova Scotia?
So while I appreciate that Harper drew attention to the Arctic security issues (Americans and Russians taking unauthorized shortcuts through our waters and the homes of Inuits), and finally funding the military, well, I am mighty furious at him for turning down the fallow field legislation for Newfoundland. It is indecent of him to not give Newfoundland the choice to chose as Alberta does, especially as Harper is not shy of using the military that drew heavily from Atlantic Canada. Is he going for the 'poverty draft'? Our military does need more numbers especially if we are doing peacekeeping again, but 'poverty draft' or any coercion or deception is not the way, shouldn't Harper be learning from what's happening with the American military in Iraq right now? One of the man who raped the 14 year old Iraqi girl Abeer, and then killed her and her family, has a psychotic personality disorder, and they let him in... Let us do remember that it's not just about numbers, especially in this age of media and terrorism and 'the fury of the locals'.