A great column from Paul Wells

Paul Wells on Stephane Dion

Stéphane Dion proves he is an environmentalist

Paul Wells | April 13, 2007 | 00:20:19 | Permalink

paul.wells@macleans.rogers.com

January, 2006: New dog. Names him Kyoto.

April, 2006: Launches Liberal leadership bid. Says a third pillar, environmental sustainability, must be added to the first two, prosperity and social justice.

May-November, 2006: 472 speeches about the third pillar. None about the first two.

December, 2006: Green scarves.

January, 2007: Releases environmental policy.

February, 2007: Releases environmental policy.

March, 2007: Series of economic speeches. Subject: The environment.

April 2007: Designates Green Party as the only national party whose leader will not
face a Liberal at the next general election.

May, 2007: Releases environmental policy.

June, 2007: Giant "Have we Mentioned the Environment Yet?" rally at the Bay of Fundy.

July, 2007: New budgie. Names it Al Gore.

August-October, 2007: Launches "I'm So Green I'm a Freaking Leprachaun" tour.

November, 2007: Releases environmental policy.

December, 2007: During emergency Commons debate about crisis in Iran, releases environmental policy.

New Year's Eve, 2007: Descends from tower at Times Square in New York City in a giant illuminated green ball, releasing his environmental policy.

January, 2008: New pet mongoose. Names it My Owner, Stéphane Dion,
Hosted an Environmental Conference Once in Montreal and There Was a Nice Editorial in the New York Times.

February, 2008: Releases environmental policy. This one calls for Canada to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to zero and then begin sucking greenhouse gases from other countries and the ozone layer and transforming the greenhouse gases into jaunty bouquets of flowers for all the boys and girls, before next Tuesday.

March, 2008: New dog. Names it Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto-Kyoto Kyoto.

April, 2008: Moves into a recyclable nylon tent with Elizabeth May.

May, 2008: Election campaign begins. Liberal staffers excitedly tell reporters the party has abandoned its campaign plane in favour of individual campaign Segways using special batteries fuelled with the reporters' own urine.

June, 2008: Releases environmental policy. Has himself surgically attached to Elizabeth May. Changes dog's name to Elizabeth May Kyoto-Kyoto Kyoto. Hires Michael Jackson's plastic surgeon to die Dion's face green, using environmentally responsible pigments made from reporters' urine. Launches hunger strike which will last until Canada begins importing
greenhouse gases from other planets for transformation into jaunty bouquets for all the boys and girls, using special rockets fuelled with reporters' urine.

a fair distribution of seats in Canada

The representation in the house of commons has become ridiculous at this point. It is time to fix the numbers in the house

Currently this is what we have:

Alberta - 28 MPs, 3 431 000 people - 122 500 per MP
BC - 36 MPs, 4 310 000 people - 119 500 per MP
Ontario - 106 MPs, 12 687 000 people - 119 600 per MP
Quebec - 75 MPs, 7 651 000 people - 102 000 per MP
Nova Scotia - 11 MPs, 934 000 people - 85 000 per MP
Manitoba - 14 MPs, 1 118 000 people - 84 000 per MP
New Brunswick - 10 MPs, 749 200 people - 75 000 per MP
Newfoundland - 7 MPs, 509 700 people - 72 800 per MP
Saskatchewan - 14 MPs, 985 500 people - 70 400 per MP
NWT - 1 MP, 41 900 people - 41 900 per MP
PEI - 4 MPs, 138 500 people - 34 625 per MP
Yukin - 1 MP, 31 200 people - 31 200 per MP
Nunavut - 1 MP, 30 800 people - 30 800 per MP

We have a total population of 32 625 000 - 105 925 per MP

If we aim for an average of 100 000 per MP in most provinces, we get to

Ontario - 126 (+20)
Quebec - 76 (+1)
BC - 43 (+7)
Alberta - 34 (+6)
Nova Scotia - 10 (-1)
New Brunswick - 7, (-3) but without Senate reform 10 (can not be reduced)
Newfoundland - 5 (-2) but without Senate refrom 6 (-1) can not go lower
Manitoba - 11 (-3)
Saskatchewan - 10 (-4)
PEI - 1 (-3) but without Senate reform 4 - can not be lowered
North - 3- can not be reduced

Total - 326 (+18) but without Senate Refrom 333 (+25)

This would be moderately fair. Ultimately we have to change the constitution to change the Senate numbers.

Senate Current
Ontario - 24
Quebec - 24
Nova Scotia - 10
New Brunswick - 10
BC - 6
Alberta - 6
Saskatchewan -
Manitoba - 6
Newfoundland - 6
NWT - 1
Yukon - 1
Nunavut - 1

My proposal
Ontario - 30 (+6)
Qubec - 30 (+6)
BC - 15 (+9)
Alberta - 15 (+9)
Manitoba - 6
Saskatchewan - 6
Nova Scotia - 6 (-4)
New Brunswick - 4 (-6)
Newfoundland - 4 (-2)
PEI - 1 (-3)
NWT - 1
Yukon - 1
Nunavut - 1

Total 120 Senators

Over 5 000 000 get 30 Senators
2 000 000 to 5 000 000 get 15 Senators
Around 1 000 000 get 6 Senators
Under 900 000 but over 200 000 - 4 Senators
Under 200 000 - one Senators

Total House of Commons and Senate Represention now and in my proposal

Ontario - 130 - 156
Quebec - 99 - 106
BC - 42 - 58
Alberta - 34 - 49
Manitoba - 20 - 17
Saskatchewan - 20 - 16
Nova Scotia - 21 - 16
New Brunswick - 20 - 11
Newfoundland - 13 - 9
PEI - 8 - 2
North - 6 - 6

total 413 - 430

Low cost housing

Everyone is concerned about the relative lack of low cost housing in major cities in Canada. What is causing the lack of low cost housing? It is supply and demand thing - we are not building houses fast enough to reduce the prices.

1) Land Prices are high - when it costs over $250 000 for a basic building lot in the Victoria area, no wonder housing is expensive. Why is land so expensive? For several reasons, in an attempt to curb urban sprawl, a lot of land is off limits to development. This restricts the land for houses. Zoning also restricts what someone can do with a building lot and thereby restricts the number of lots available.

A lot more land is used by roads and infrastructure than is needed. If we allowed in street housing, there would an increase in the number of building lots and a reduction in their costs.

2) The stock of housing is not growing fast enough. If we were building houses and condos faster than the demand, the price will go down. Each cost applied to any development reduces the potential for the development. The red tape should be minimal and the local government should not be charging a development or fees for building permit fees, but instead should amortize these costs over 10 years on the property tax for the development.

Quite simply, the more housing you build, the cheaper housing will get - simple supply and demand.

3) There are too many restrictions on what you can build in most areas. Most local governments do not allow for secondary suites - why not? They provide low cost housing. Local governments also decree restrictions on the land - if I have 8000 square feet of land, why should I not be allowed to build two houses on it? The property set backs are often a significant restriction in being able to use a small lot.

As an example, if there were only 2000 more housing unit in the Greater Victoria area, you would see a dramatic fall in house costs and a much higher vacancy rate. Low income housing needs a much more open market to allow the private sector to build more housing units.

Why I support the Conservatives

Many people that know me wonder how I could be supporting Stephen Harper and the Conservatives - I was a rather left wing radical in my youth and still hang out with many of these people.

It is easy to explain, no other party in Canada comes to close to meeting my political interests.

• The Federal Liberal party is a completely top down organization - there is no space for a grass roots aspect to the party.
• The party does not allow its MPs to act independently - Joe Comuzzi is just the latest example.
• The party has not plan for how they would govern Canada - and is most worrisome is that this was true while they were government.
• They are not in favour of more democracy in Canada - an elected senate, equal representation in the house of commons, a better electoral system, local control of nominations and getting all non-voters out of the election process
• They do not understand the emerging economy of Canada

• The Federal NDP is behold to the provincial parties - mainly BC, Sask, Manitoba and Ontario
• The party will not allow any MP to ever act as they feel is right - caucus solidarity is more important than good representation
• They are not willing to support immediate moves for a more democratic system of governance - note what they did not manage in 2005 when they had the chance
• They are no longer populist at all, but are even more elitist than the Liberals
• They have economic ideas that are simply put completely discredited
• They have very few strong candidates willing to run for them
• I have no idea what their agenda is.
• They seem to have forgotten that the west is important

• The Green Party is still too much of a mess with where they are headed politically
• The party has little chance to elect anyone
• The party has too many wingnuts around
• Economics and the Greens - there are some people that make good noises, but most are old style leftists

What I want are the following things:

• A "let business be" approach
• Less government regulation
• A reduction of what the federal government does
• An elected and effective Senate
• A house elected by STV and with each MP representing the same number of people
• A recognition of the importance of BC and Alberta within Canada
• A willingness to majorly reform CPP and OAP and EI - make them all revenue neutral and properly funded
• More free trade
• end to all business subsidies
• Sell off all government assets - make it bare bones
• legalize all drugs
• Get rid of the military - I am a Quaker and a pacifist
  

There are more things, but thing basically populist libertarian with a strong distrust of large government systems.

When I was young I described myself as an anarchist - I wanted to smash the state. Now I just want to dismantle the state.

Interesting talk on Afghanistan coming to Victoria

April 27, the South Island Conservatives welcome BGen (Ret'd) Don Macnamara, Royal Canadian Air Force. His topic is "Afghanistan and Canada's National Security Interests".

To reserve your seats, click on the following link:
http://www.conservativevictoria.ca/breakfast.html

---

Don Macnamara spent 37 years actively serving in Canada, Britain, Europe and the United States. On retirement from the Canadian Forces, he joined the faculty of the Queen's School of Business as a professor of international business. Although retired from Queen's and living in Sidney-by-the-sea, he continues to teach at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, where he is Honorary Colonel, and serve in several capacities at Queen's, Air Command and RMC.

See you at the Breakfast on Friday, April 27 at 7:00am. Parking is free until 9 am at city meters.

NOTE: If anyone has any connections to people who would make great breakfast speakers,
please contact Paul Holmes, Visit Coordinator at paul@holmes.bc.ca

---

Breakfasts are held on the last Friday of every month except for

July, August and December. Future dates are May 25^th Jun 22^nd

Here are the details:

- Doors open at 6:45am; Breakfast starts at 7:ooam and ends by 8:30am
- The Union Club is at 805 Gordon Street, across from the Empress Hotel
- NEW: Admission is $20.00 per person for reserved seats (cash or cheque)
- NEW: Students with a valid student card are $10.00

- NEW: Admission for non-reserved seats (if available) is $25.00

- Breakfasts can be prepaid to the end of the season if you wish
- A reserved seat MUST be paid for whether you use it or not
- CELL Phones and Pagers are to be SILENCED as you arrive

Wisdom Council

If you are interested in helping plan the next Wisdom Council,

or just interested in learning how it comes together,

please join us for an open planning meeting.

Feel free to bring a friend.

10-12:30, Sat April 14,

1831 Fern Street, Meeting House

Facilitator: Dan Doherty 595-2290

Proposed Agenda

(items may not be addresssed fully at this meeting)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) checking-in, introducing ourselves

2) agreeing on the agenda, designating a notetaker

(agreeing on a decision-making process)
3) following-up from the Apr 5 planning meeting
4) completing WC#1 and fanning the fires of ongoing dialogue
5) plan WC#2 (proposed for late June 2007)
- reading the toolkit (and learning from our experience)
- defining and assigning tasks
- defining the target community to draw from (Victoria, GV or CRD?)
- setting a date for WC#2
- finding a location
6) Dynamic Facilitator training - who is interested?

7) Update on running a WC in a school
8) Wise Democracy Victoria - who is interested in democracy dialogue?
9) Next meeting 10-12:30, Sat April 28, 1831 Fern St

Invited via this mailing:

- conveners of WC#1

- members of WC#1

- others who expressed an interest

Federal Election Prediction

First off, I predict that the election will not occur before 2009, but if it were to happen sooner:

Conservatives 143
Liberals 93
NDP 21
Bloc 50
Ind 1

What does Danny Williams want?

OK, I have been trying to figure out what it is that Danny Williams is looking for from the federal government?


As far as I can tell, he can either have the Atlantic Accord or he can choose a new formula - in what world is this breaking a promise??????

If there is anyone out there that can explain how Newfoundland is not getting a brilliant deal, please me know. It feels like the west has been Churchill falled by the Atlantic provinces.

Canada and Afganistan

With the recent death of 6 more Canadian soldiers, the total death toll has come to 51 since the start of Canadians being in Afghanistan in 2002.

I was reading in the newspaper yesterday about all the deaths and they was a trend I noticed from last year. There were 25 deaths from mid July to mid October last year - 1/2 of all the deaths in teh last five years in one three month period. I presume that this was because there was a summer offensive by both sides.

I suspect the Taliban will try another summer offensive, so I would suspect that people in Canada should expect there to be an increase in deaths in Afghanistan over the summer.