Gone fishin'

This will be my last post for the spring/summer. Thanks for all those who sent emails/commented in '06, your input was much appreciated. See you back here in the fall. And who knows, there my even be changes.

Le retour de Gilles Duceppe

Le Blogue Un Blog...de Centre-Droit a écrit un excellent post sur le volte-face de Gilles Duceppe d’hier, suite à s'annonçait qu'il rentrait dans ses terres, à Ottawa, et qu'il se ralliait à son adversaire, Pauline Marois.

Update

In the comments section over at Greg Staple's blog, bcbarbie notes that "Tasha Kheiriddin was on TV this morning saying that Duceppe has already announced he will not run in the next Federal election, so unless he changes his mind on that too, it looks like there will be a leadership race, and no federal election for a while." Not certain of the validity of these comments by bcbarbie regarding Kheiriddin, however, if true, the Quebec separatist movement is definitely in a state of turmoil.

Liberal Petulant Ottawa

Upon my departure from the nations capital two years ago, I noted to a friend who worked with the Tories that they had better beware of the "shift in attitude" taking place north of the Queensway. A shift, I might add, that had left me with a serious disdain for the nation's political elite during my final few months in the city. What was "the shift" you ask? Five words: Ottawa wasn't ready for Harper. (as his every word and move seemed to shake the earth underneath the entrenched political establishment)

Upon Harper's re-entry into politics in 2002, I can still remember the serious divisions which plagued our party, not to mention, the Liberals were determined to quickly bring down the budding Alliance star, and the media were already digging profusely for something that would ultimately stick. Whether Harper would be able to gain entrance into 24 Sussex, under this type of media scutiny, was an absolutely uncertainty at this point for any right-minded tory.

However, regardless of the extreme petulance that existed towards him and his party in Ottawa, Harper's conservatives seemed to be all the rage everywhere else in the country. (even with local media) Unfortunately, for him, the more likely it became that he may form a governing majority, the worse the attacks became from the parliamentary press gallery. It was almost like everything old in that city [Ottawa] felt threatened by the possibility of everything new; in other words, the possible imperiled the settled and, in turn, over time not everyone was comfortable with this shift. It reminds one of a passage from Machiavelli's The Prince: "There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than a creation of a new order of things." A confederacy or ethos which I now refer to as "Liberal Petulant Ottawa".

Let the people decide

I'm quite certain that not every New Brunswick Liberal, PC, NDP, Green [or NBer for that matter] stands behind the premier's recent decision to unilaterally thwart democratic reform [i.e. Senate reform]. Maybe a good way to find out would be for the opposition to introduce a motion in the legislature to see who still supports having unelected senators in New Brunswick. It's sure to be struck down, however, it may put a few of the government members in a peculiar position down the road, say, when the party wants to fraudulently appeal to the grassroots during an election.

And since this reform could have a huge impact on the everyday lives of each and every NBer in this province, then shouldn't the people of the province have the final say, and not just the premier? (who obviously has shown in recent months that he doesn't believe in democracy anyway) Just a thought.

Sunday voting?

I know my blogging friend over at Spink About It, who is vehemently opposed to sunday shopping, won't be overly amused with the recent tabling of this bill by Government House Leader Peter Van Loan. I, for one, am all for going to the polls on a Sunday afternoon or evening if it would mean more people would get to the polls, however, [Van Loan's] other bill sent chills down my spine knowing what I already know about the arguement of "excessive pork barrel politics" in vote rich regions like Ontario and Quebec.

Odds against recession 2 to 1

I don't like the sounds of this at all. However, during the last US recession, the overall Canadian economy was surprisingly unscathed. While growth slowed during that time frame, we never actually did enter a recession.

On the flip side, it can't be good news for those slow growth regions (hint, hint) who have ambitions economic plans that require additional spending from the feds in order to build infrastructure so as to integrate themselves more with the eastern US states.

Caught between a rock and Danny Williams

Something tells me that this guy's office number will be on both the whip's office and Danny William's speed dial.

Lesson of the day: leaking is still an art form

It's funny how quick practicing anarchist fall back to their old tendencies, even when surrounded by minions of the state.

Update (Lesson of the day #2): this isn't Orwell's 1984

If you want to be taken seriously as a national party, then don't align yourself with stiffs like this.

Graham's tactics stall Bill S-4

I could understand if these kinds of delay tactics were coming from unaccountable and obstructionist Liberal senators. However, to my surprise, it was Premier Shawn Graham who was the main culprit that spurred on these senators to further delay a good piece of legislation (Bill S-4);

But Liberals came up with a new twist, asking that all premiers be given until the end of the month to weigh in on the constitutionality of the bill. They argued that a detailed submission received last week from New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham cast a new light on the bill and said other provinces should have a chance to respond.

The Bailout Brigade

It was just over a month or so ago that the government of New Brunswick was under the gun for their ill-advised bailout of a credit union [Caisse Populaire de Shippagan] to the tune of $41-million. Now, they are at it again, except this time they are the ones insisting that they need a government handout. (i.e. "Side Deal to the tune of fifty per cent")

Your truly finds this all quite amusing considering he knows that the current premier doesn't have any political clout at all in the nation's capital [with the PMO]. Furthermore, it is common knowledge on the hill that former premier Bernard Lord still has the ear of the Prime Minister as good sources say he has been seen entering his office on a regular basis.

Which brought me to this thought: I wonder if Lord is putting in a good word for Shawn, especially after he rescinded his small business tax cut, scrapped his referendum on electoral reform and raised taxes on lower income families in order to give grants to Liberal friendly firms. (even one where his father was on the board) Methinks Shawn's bailout brigade had better get used to the money they've already been given through the new equilization formula [O'Brien plan].

And let's be honest, the final report on self-sufficiency must look as attractive to the federal finance minister as one of those quick fix latenight weight loss schemes looks to a professional trainer. In both cases, don't expect the credit card to suddenly appear.

Pay Equity Pork

I see that there is a very good discussion going on over at Spink About It regarding the first report on wage-gaps which was tabled by Family and Community Services Minister Carmel Robichaud yesterday. When you have a chance, go over and join the debate.

The cost of self-sufficiency: Liberal high taxes

The cost of reading a great economic analysis by Eugene: priceless. It's folks like this that make me happy about my half-cocked decision to relocate to the maritimes from the nation's crapital.

My Third Round NHL Playoff Predictions

Let’s look back and see how I made out in the second round…

Notwithstanding the Vancouver pick, my second round predictions went fairly well as I was correct in three of the four series. As they say, "three outta four ain't bad". Furthermore, I was just one game shy from being perfect on my Eastern conference predictions as I took Buffalo in 6 (dead on) and Ottawa in 6 (one off).

So who shall I pick for the third round conference finals? Well, it’s a hard decision to make once again. However, this time I will go with a completely different approach, in that, I won’t give any reasoned explanations per se and will go more with my gut feelings on both conference finals.

Eastern Conference Finals

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (4) Ottawa Senators

This has the makings of an epic battle. Both these teams play a similar wide open, finesse style of hockey, which means scoring should come frequently and in large numbers. However, I expect to see Ryan Miller and Ray Emery steal a game or two with some stellar performances between the pipes. Many of the pundits believe the Sabres have yet to play to their potential, while the big line of Spezza-Heatley-Alfredsson continues to roll. Which, IMHO, will make the difference since Buffalo relies heavy on their third line for the bulk of their offence. Sens in 6.

Western Conference Finals

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (2) Anaheim Ducks

This ones a tough call. However, with Mathieu Schneider out of the lineup, Detroit will be an underdog in this series. Back when I lived in Ottawa, I had always hoped that the Wings and Senators would have met in the Stanley Cup finals as it would have been an entertaining series as both teams were chalked full of talent, not to mention, the drama that would have ensued upon local Ottawa boy Stevie Y's return to his old stompin's grounds. However, even though I picked them in round two, I was very surprised that the Wings advanced past the Sharks, especially after getting down late in game four. Which is why I don't think that Detroit, despite it's veteran presence and stellar defense core, will make past this Ducks who are playing their best hockey ever. Ducks in 6.

Twice as fast as the Lord

We all remember back in '99 when former premier Bernard Lord entered office wherein he pledged to implement a list of 20 recommendations in his first 200 days. He did it, but I might add, not quite as fast as this guy's proposing.

Money & Politics II: Tories to Ban Big Money

I see this as a good piece of legislation, especially if it encourages more political parties to use the "dumb as a bag of hammers" approach, or as I like to refer to it, "The Obama factor".

The Flora Syndrome

Oddly enough, it seems as though this phenomenon has made its way across the pond, aiding Sarkozy to victory;

Perhaps most striking was the 52 per cent of the women's vote he captured against 48 per cent for Ms. Royal, which indicated the campaign transcended gender issues and became truly a choice between ideas — the tough-love message of Mr. Sarkozy against Ms. Royal's more nurturing vision.

Rules to govern oneself

For once, I am in full agreement with Macleans' columnist Scott Feschuk;

Inviolable Rule of Politics No. 178: When you find yourself saying to the national media, ‘Hey, you’re twisting what I said about the Nazis all out of shape,’ you know you’ve boned things up pretty good.

***

Inviolable Rule of Politics No. 343: When Don Cherry calls you “absolutely ridiculous,” and he appears to be the one making sense, then you might want to stop obsessing over what a hockey player may or may not have said a year and a half ago, and whether what he may or may not have said was or was not culturally insensitive, and get the hell back to fucking work.

Are Liberals out of money? Part III

After much speculation and excogitation by yours scewdly regarding the financial hardships suffered by the Liberal Party of Canada, it has now become public knowledge. Quel Surprise!

What's even more predictable here was the contemptible response by "Rusty" LeDrew to the whole situation wherein he blames the new rules and approach for his party's recent poor [fundraising] showing and adds, "What I think about it is that it was dumb as a bag of hammers." LeDrew also said, "I think it was motivated by [Chrétien] trying to clean his reputation and in the process he severely damaged the party." Methinks Stephen's bowtie is tied on way too tight as it seems very little oxygen is getting to his brain.

Western Regional Climate Action Initiative

I've said many times in the past, "we fall dramatically short when we see our economic challenges, both rural and urban, as strictly through the lens of a provincial panoptic approach. In today's global economy, this approach is simply impetuous as it is evident, by now, that the shift of power now lies in the hands of "region states" and in "coalitions" not in the single hand of central governments of nation states. In other words, we must reach past boundries, borders, jurisdictions and political party lines if we are to succeed."

Which is why I was extremely pleased to see that the premier of British Columbia has taken this very approach in his quest to curb greenhouse gas emmissions [GHGs] by agreeing to partner with five other U.S. states to form the Western Region Climate Action Initiative. Furthermore, Campbell has not waited around for the federal government to solve all the challenges, both economically and socially, that exist in his province wherein he has taken aggressive action on many of these fronts. Something that I have always said has to be the mindset of the premiers in Atlantic Canada, especially here in New Brunswick. A mindset which has encouraged my writings on this blog from time to time.

A good example of this type of leadership approach was demonstrated today in a statement again made by premier Campbell in Toronto on whether or not the Council of the Federation can come together to strike a policy framework for the provinces on the environment, where he said, "If we can do that together, that's great. And, frankly, if we can't I think provinces will say 'we're going to get on with it ourselves." He made a point to say, "I can tell you I'm not waiting for unanimity from the provinces or from anyone else." A wise approach indeed and as a veteran of federal-provincial relations and premiers conferences, premier Gordon Campbell realizes that good solutions are seldom brokered at high stake televised meetings, especially when acrimonious public posturing dominates the airwaves.

Oh, and another thing, I can't say enough good things about BC's green bus plan. Now that's the kind of investment that is bound to benefit the greater good of society, unlike the petty corporate welfare schemes that have continued to dominate the mindset of premiers here in New Brunswick.

As I said before, the New Brunswick Liberal's real lack of effort on the policy front before entering office is really starting to show now that they're in office. Which is probably why they consider throwing a few half measures onto a page a few days before a government organized policy conference, not to mention, having a few ministers drive fuel efficient automobiles, the way to move forward on the environment. No matter what the policy, this approach will never work, especially when it comes to difficult challenges like cutting greenhouse gas emmissions.

I think it's high time that premier Graham consider taking a few lessons from his BC counterpart [premier Campbell] as I just don't see him putting in the effort required, at the moment, to make things better for all citizens in New Brunswick.

Not so sober second thought

The Canadian Senate is in the news once again. This time for a misguided report on children's rights and their role in society, which the Post promptly refered to as an "annoying bit of misplaced social engineering". I couldn't agree more.

Well, since we're on the subject (of the senate that is), and it's clear that members of the red chamber are having difficulty finding a legitimate and pertinent issue to study, I have a suggestion for the 24 Atlantic Canadian Senators, especially to those 20 who are Liberal; instead of producing these types of reports, try touching on subjects that are more critical to Atlantic Canadians, like our region's dwindling economy and infrastructure, its troubling high unemployment rates, its overdependency on EI and welfare programs and its massive exodus of skilled and educated workers to other parts of the country. I'm sure that will keep you busy for awhile.

Furthermore, I realize that it's difficult to feel any connection to people when they didn't vote you into power in the first place, however, if you want respect from the people you supposedly represent, then fight for the issues that concern them the most and stop wasting our time and money on bureaucratic social engineering projects which tell parents how to raise their children.

Listen to the environmental activist, um extremist

I don't usually post political cartoons on my blog, however, this one sure did catch my eye. (Hat tip NB Tory Lady) For the record, there's so much bullshit coming from Mr. Suzuki these days, that I'm not sure we can make it with only one square. Sorry, Sheryl.

Trudeau Jr. not a good political strategist

It is common knowledge for people who have been in the business of politics for a longtime, as well as a fundamental campaign strategy, to always plan ahead to the second ballot. And judging from certain rumours swirling about the north end of Papineau today, it appears as though Justin Trudeau's campaign team have not done thier homework. According to Liberal strategist and blogger Antonio DiDomizio, Trudeau not only made a second ballot [strategical] error, he also picked a difficult riding to get elected in, not to mention, an archaic and "out of step" political ethos;

While there may be room for Justin Trudeau in Quebec, there is scarcely any room to continue the Liberal centralist policy that is out of step with the times and out of step with Quebec politics. We should never underestimate a Trudeau, but I think a little compromising may be in order for the young Trudeau if he wins the nomination today.

Justin enters today as an underdog. He has the most first ballot support, but no second ballot support. I know the situation is eerily ironic, but it was not created by any of his detractors, just the situation Justin put himself in by choosing a riding with two large ethnic voting blocs, the Greeks and the Italians.

However, if he does manage to pull it off this afternoon, his eventual presence in Ottawa will surely create a media frenzy of immense proportions, especially amongst the bandwagoners in the PPG. Which is certain to create, I might add, a very difficult situation for the current unpopular Liberal leader, Stephane Dion. Developing.

Update

Justin Trudeau wins the Papineau nomination by a slim marging on the first ballot.

Are the Liberals out of money? Part deux

A follow up to my last post on this subject.

Once again, a good source in Ottawa tells me that Liberal fundraisers are pleading for money (what's new), and get this, this time around they are targeting the grassroots. That's right, you heard me correctly, the Liberals, yes the Liberal party of Canada, are looking towards the grassroots for cash. How nice. There selling point for advertisement seems to be "for every additional dollar we generate from today's appeal, we will reach 186 more Canadians. If you donate $75 right now, almost 14,000 more Canadians will see our TV ad." Grassroots sponsoring Liberal ads? Hmmm....

Here's a marketing suggestion: before you ask the grassroots for additional money, first maybe you should apologize on behalf of your party for stealing Canadian's tax dollars and funneling it to Liberal friendly ad firms? Better yet, maybe your party should return the $40 or $50 million which is still missing? How does that sound?

Just think, for every additional dollar returned, the government could reach 186 more Canadians. As well, if your party decided to return the entire $50 million, the government could reach 4, 650,000,000 trillion people around the world [through advertising] and tell them how corrupt your party was while in power. How does that sound?

Government dependency threatening our province

Former editor-in-chief of the Telegraph Journal Neil Reynolds explains how the majority of New Brunswickers are dependent on the federal government for their health care, education, income, or retirement - at the same time the number of taxpayers paying for these benefits is rapidly shrinking.

Moreover, Reynolds explains how this "nanny state/tax-and-spend" approach by the Graham government will do more damage then good for the overall "self-sufficiency" of this province as it severely evaginates the slow and painful gains made by both Bernard Lord and Frank McKenna. Here is an excerpt from article below (I can't find a link to it on the TJ website which is very unusual since they normally post all the frontpage news articles of the day).

And New Brunswick isn't alone in making policy mistakes. But New Brunswick has now chosen a unique way to make things much worse. In its March budget, the first since taking office in October, the Liberal government of Shawn Graham increased taxes across the entire economy - raising personal personal income taxes retroactively, rescinding corporate and small business tax cuts, raising liquor prices. At the same time, the province has hit homeownerswith dranatic increases in property assessments - in some instances, charging them a $50 dollar "service fee" to pay for the requisite paperwork.

You can almost always tell when governments deliberately deceive. Here is Finance Minister Victor Boudreau as he explains why the government increased provincial taxes by $100 million and increased the province's debt by $356 million (to $7 billion): "Structural change was required to realign revenues and spending," he said. "[This] is a transactional budget which lays the groundwork for future transformational change." This assertion, in all its puffy bureaucratese, is so utterly bereft of meaning as to render it insulting. In fact, the government conceded in a background paper that it raised taxes to pay for its election promises - such hiring an additional 280 teachers in a province with declining enrollments. The province already employs more public-sector workers than the Canadian average.

This kind of destructive "structural change" - returning the province to the old Maritime tradition of tax-and-spend - ends more than 10 years of modest government restraint. (The province's last increase in personal income taxes was in 1994.) Started by former Liberal premier Frank McKenna and continued by Progressive Conservative premier Bernard Lord, New Brunswick had slowly worked itself toward Mr. mcKenna's announced goal of economic self-sufficiency, an objective that implied much more reliance on work and much less reliance on welfare. In its abrubt change in direction, Mr. Graham's "tranformational" government has now chosen to retreat from work and embrace welfare, to make public-sector growth more omportant than private-sector growth. On the margin, where many NB familes live, some marginal businesses will close.

Some marginal families will migrate. Some marginal people will need further increases in public assistance. All together, more people will be rendered marginal.

Although it progressed too slowly, New Brunswick had moved in the right direction in the last decade. The number of people with jobs (335,400) hit a record high last year. Capital investment, at $5 billion, hit a record high.

Personal income was rising steadily. The Irving LNG terminal, now under construction in Saint John, will make the province an important East Coast "energy hub". But the province is now making a huge mistake, investing in dependency rather than in self-sufficiency. Mr. Graham's appointment of a secretariat for Population Growth (up-front cost: $3 million) will make it harder, on the margin, for working families to cope - and will beget not a single child. Read entire article here.

Kid Canada and Kobe resume their battle tonight

If my predictions become reality, this one won't last past five games as the Suns have too much firepower and team chemistry for the Lakers to match head to head. Also, look for the Raptors to even up their series tonight vs. the Nets.

Word of advice to Raptor fans: for all those who have tickets to the game at the ACC tonight, for the love of god, don't show up in the opposing teams colors again.

Something smells fishy on the rock

I found this post by fellow blogger Liam O'Brien (aka Responsible Government League) so informative that I ran it in full again below. Enjoy.

***

Dion smelled some fresh meat and showed up here.

Nobody wanted to admit it was a courtship, but it pretty much was. To his credit, Dion isn't really waivering from what he offered all along. Consistency, even if on an unimpressive position, is a rare thing where the equalization issues are concerned.

Gerry Reid pointed out that fisheries came up in discussions, but anyone who remembers Dion as intergovernmental minister knows he's not going to change one thing on the fisheries jurisdiction issue. That may put him at odds with the grassroots provincial Tories that re-affirmed their party's position on that matter as recently as October 2006; that definitely puts him at odds with provincial Roger-Grimes-Liberals who at least pursued the issue. Then again, that might make him a perfect match for many current talking heads in this province

***

Maybe Gerry meant other fisheries issues -- foreign overfishing where the govt. Dion was a part of didn't do any better (and maybe a little worse) than the current stalled situation; or recreational fishery -- that Dion's party refused to allow on the same level as the current government . . . hmm...

On Equalization, based on the VOCM story, he'd support the old status quo. This may turn out to be significant for some if Accord Implementation Acts are indeed affected in the end result. Ed has written several posts worth a glance on that one. I am very concerned about effects of budget 2007 on the implementation of both the 1985 and 2005 accords.

Meanwhile, when it came to suitors, Helen was a little more discriminating and probably considered more than one issue as well as more than one suitor. . .

Cue Fred Wilcox and Tom Hickey -- that is IF they're off that blacklist . . .

After that, a fair person would still see what terms are offered by Fabe and the other long time residents on that black sheep farm . . .

Second Round Playoff Predictions

My first round predictions went pretty well this year. I was correct in six of the eight series. Moreover, I was just two games shy from being perfect on my Western predictions as I took Dertroit in 6 (dead on), San Jose in 6 (one off), Anaheim in 6 (one off) and Vancouver in 7 (dead on).

So who shall I pick for the second round? Well, it’s a hard decision to make. Unlike last time, I won’t give any long explanations because I haven’t seen enough of the teams in the East (with the exception of Ottawa) to make a really educated decision. Anyway, here they are:

Eastern Conference

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) New York Rangers

The Rangers had the easiest first round, quickly dispatching the Thrashers in a sweep. Couple that with the Rangers top line of Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander playing to their full potential and with Lundqvist playing solid between the pipes, there is no question the Rangers will be a threat to upend the top dogs in the East. However, Buffalo's strength up front will win this series in the end. The only thing that could prevent this from ocurring is if Lundqvist plays like Superman between the pipes and Miller falters from his early round form. Other than that, I say the Sabres in 6.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (4) Ottawa Senators

The Devils have Martin Brodeur? Nuff said. However, the Senators have experienced players who have been in this situation before (and been disappointed) so they realize that these playoff opportunities may not come around again for a very long time. Which is why I give the "hungry" factor to the Sens. In other words, New Jersey just doesn’t have the blue line presence of the past to hold off the vicious Ottawa attack that they will see this time around. Sens in 6.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) San Jose Sharks

Both teams played brilliant hockey in the first round and appear to have no glaring weaknesses. The Sharks are one of the most talented young teams in the league. However, they bring a lot of inexperienced to the table on the blue line while the Red Wings are battle tested, and as I said in the first round, they have waited all year to make up for last years early exit via the Oilers. Not to mention, their toughest opponent is now in their rearview mirror (Flames) so you will see this team step up the pressure in the second round. Wings in 5.

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks

This should be the most emotional series of the second round. It appears as though the Ducks have the advantage with the experienced combo of Pronger and Niedermayer on the blue line. However, I still like the Canucks chances as Loungo is playing fantastic between the pipes and, IMHO, this will be the deciding factor that will put Vancouver over the top. Canucks in 6.

Beggars can't be chosers

I certainly don't remember too many Liberals who I chatted up at D'Arcy McGees over the years who said they didn't enjoy this kind of stuff, especially when Stockwell Day was the target of a partisan coup [DRC] back in 2001.

Methinks if they keep it up, the Liberal Party of Canada could soon resemble this bunch. That's right folks, and I'm not making this stuff up.

However, don't get me wrong, if your a tory, these Martinites are definitely an entertaining bunch to watch, especially that Reid fella.

The Crocuses have risen in Manitoba

An election has been called in Manitoba for May 22, and as Andrew Coyne explains, voters could be looking for answers and explanations, especially when it pertains to the Crocus fund;

The real question that people should be asking in its messy aftermath is not, who took our money, but what could possibly have moved the government of Manitoba to make such a gift to organized labour in the first place: a fund in which half the board were appointed by the MFL, but as much as 40% the money was put up by government, via the matching 20% federal and provincial tax credits (later reduced to 15% apiece) for investors in labour-sponsored venture capital funds. The real question, in other words, is not why this particular labour-sponsored fund was so mismanaged, but why any of these funds exist. Read Full article

Je ne peux pas comprend "free market economy"

French ex-pat and PR consultant Joël Céré runs down the list of candidates vying for France's presidency in today's general election. And though he favours Nicolas Sarkosy's libertarian economic views, he notes "I don’t think France as a society is ready for it. Only 36 percent of French people think that “a free market economy” is the best system compared with 65 percent in Germany, 66 percent in Britain and 74 percent in China..."

I'm sure if they polled New Brunswick as a society on that very same issue, the percentages in favour of a "free market economy" would be even lower than France. Which is probably why [New Brunswick] is in the economic situation it's in today and France's financial situation resembles that of Canada's back in the early 1990s or as George Walden says "a vegetating catastrophe". I know some of my fellow bloggers would say you can't find a free market economy anywhere on the globe. That's very interesting, especially considering you can certainly find attitudes that are favourable towards it.

Update

I see that voter turnout for this election is up considerably as "nearly 74 percent of the 44.5 million eligible voters had cast ballots by 5 p.m. (1500 GMT)", the Interior Ministry said. This is the highest voter turnout for a French election since 1981. This could be a good sign for Conservative Nicolas Sarkosy or even Socialist Ségolène Royal because it's the same type of passionate wave that brought François Mitterrand to power. To be honest, I think the french are looking for a leader that will steer their country in a different direction. A direction that will make France more competitive, both socially and economically, in the 21st century. And if that's the case, then I have to give Sarkosy the nod to be the last person standing after all the votes are tallied (after the final voting round) on May 6.

Update II

A bit off topic (well maybe not that much), but I see that Liberal leader Stephane Dion has sidestepped his voting responsibilities in France in favour of courting voters of a different kind, NL Progressive Conservatives to be exact.

Are the Liberals out of money?

A good source in Ottawa tells me that the Liberals are running into some serious financial difficulties. So much so that they are having significant problems trying to muster up enough money to run a few televsion ads for their leader.

Supposedly this problem dates as far back as 2005 and was the main reason Martin's crew had to wait until the final moments of the 56 day campaign to run their ads against Harper. Moreover, rumour has it that they may even have to pull additional booked time for the ad below if donations don't start flowing from friends and neighbours soon. Not a good sign if you're a Dionista, especially since their leader has had significant difficulty defining himself on the national stage. Not to mention, things must be pretty bad in gritland if you can't find enough partisan cash to run a 30 second clip which finally highlights something positive about your leader's political career.

Inching along incrementally

This is way better than opening the constitution: "Prime Minister Stephen Harper put his Senate reform plan into action Wednesday, announcing that he will appoint Bert Brown as his first elected senator.

Harper told the House of Commons that he will name Alberta's 'senator in waiting' to the upper chamber."

Sackville, New Brunswick: The Hub of Atlantica

I know I have talked ad nauseam about the changing global trading patterns as of late, especially when it pertains to the growth corridor of Atlantica. But with the continental interior experiencing massive growth and other gateways in Asia and Europe becoming congested, attention is definitely turning to expanding traffic and opening an efficient gateway through Atlantica’s corridors.

That is why I believe Sackville, New Brunswick has an fantastic opportunity to capitalize on its unique location within the growth corridor of Atlantica.
For starters, it's advantages are that it is a mid point on route to New York from Europe as well as Asia, it contains a vast amount of underdeveloped land which could be used for industrial development, it has a world class university, not to mention, it's close proximity to central North America via a class one rail service.

Alright, at this point I'm sure there are people out there reading this post who must think that I have officially gone bonkers (that is if they haven't come to that conclusion already), but get this, there are plans in the works for a conveyor belt manufacturing plant to locate in Sackville, NB. And guess where they're locating from? If you guessed India, you win the prize. That's right folks, Mohindra Industrial Corporation in Southern India has chose Sackville as a place to do business in North America and are already finalizing the paper work to move into the small industrial park off bridge street.

Now as much as this is good news for an economically depressed region, there are few things that I must point out here that may trouble some that think things are going in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, this trend of companies locating in the hub of Atlantica is a step in the right direction as it's poised to resolve the congestion problems of the west coast and satisfy the growth demands of central North America and the US northeast.

However, with growth and demand come some challenges. And at the moment, due to certain policy approaches, dwindling infrastructure and overdependency on government rather than the market, we are not ready to accomodate new growth in our region.

So what must be done in the meantime to ensure that economic growth is not stunted wherein it takes place at its full potential? Well, I could go on a long diatribe about fiscal policy, taxes and what not, but I won't. I would like to focus more on what needs to be done today. And IMO, it boils down mainly to significant investments in infrastructure.

First, when pertaining to Sackville, there has to be an overall commitment to develope better high quality infrastructure so as to accomodate business opportunities when they come knocking. For instance, the industrial park as it stands right now has reached its capacity and has no more room for additional firms looking to invest. As well, the roadways must be upgraded and widened so that truck traffic can move more smoothly and efficiently within the industrial park itself. At the moment, this just isn't the case as roads are in poor condition and are not friendly to industrial traffic.

Secondly, and this pertains to the whole region not just Sackville, it is vital that rail services (class one) be upgraded so as to give industrial parks and ports another high quality infrastructure option to ship goods to central North America and US Northeast. It's been such a longtime since freight has been used to our regions advantage that many are in the mindset that it's a dead means of shipping goods. In other words, the competitive and productivity of our rail system has been in decline for far too long and must be upgraded.

And lastly, and one that I believe is most important, converting the municipality into a fully functional wireless community network. Municipal Wi-Fi and WiMax networks will not only make it more attractive for non-users to get online, but also introduce new users to richer content offerings from the start of their online experience. Research by market research consultant at Ipsos show that over three quarters of the global online population now use broadband to connect to the net while just 21 per cent use a dial-up connection. Which means, if you want to do business globally, then it is vital that a community invest in this cutting edge infrastructure.

So there is no question that our complacency is not an option here when it comes to regional development, especially since we have generally suffered from relative economic underdevelopment and growth when compared to the national average. Which is why we must see ourselves for what we are and not for what we should be. Because wishful thinking would indicate that more investors from India are on the way and will come knocking, but in reality, this will only happen if we are ready to make it happen. And at the moment, by just looking around, weren't not. This could be our last chance to turn it around, so let's just hope maritimers see it in those terms.

Make sure you catch CNN tonight at 10 p.m. (Atlantic)

Catch President Clinton on Larry King Live tonight at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. The hour-long interview, part of Larry King’s weeklong “Celebration of 50 Years in Broadcasting,” will highlight the Clinton Global Initiative’s mid-year meeting, held today in New York. At the meeting, President Clinton will highlight commitments in action and recognize the tremendous impact that completed commitments have had on the lives of people around the world.

Thursday quiz

For those who aren't aware, I am a huge fan of the tv "mob drama" Saprano's. In hindsight, I'm more of a fan of that show than I am of politics and sports combined and can probably name more characters from it than I can hockey, basketball players or members of parliament. Anyway, enough about my tv addictions or I might start rambling on and on about 90210 or Seinfeld. lol Anyway, to change it up a bit, I though I would post this Saprano's car quiz to see if you [the reader] are as big a fan of the show as I am, not to mention, to test your knowledge of the show. Anyway, you can send your answers to scott.mackay@hotmail.com . (The answers will be posted after all entries are in by Friday) Good luck.

1.) Tony Soprano's crew has been largely loyal to the Cadillac brand. The crew this figure led in early seasons favoured Lincolns. Who is he?

2.) Among Tony's memorable mistresses was car saleswoman Gloria Trillo in Season 3. What brand did she represent?

3.) Match vehicle with owner:
2005 Porsche Cayenne S
2005 Cadillac DeVille
1999 Chevrolet Suburban
1963 Oldsmobile 88
2004 Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa
2003 Ford Thunderbird
2004 nissan Xterra SE

Vito Spatafore
Johnny (Sack) Sacramoni
Livia Soprano
Anthony (A.J.) Soprano Jr.
Adriana La Cerva
Tony Soprano
Carmela Soprano

4.) True or False: To publicize its final season, The Sopranos is the primary sponsor of a NASCAR race entry. Listed as "associate sponsors" are the Bada Bing Club and Satriale's Pork Store.

5.) In this early scene, Tony (James Gandolfini) shows who is mob boss when he grabs the wheel from his driver, Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), to chase down a gambler who owes him money. Name the make and model of the car-turned-weapon. Bonus question: What was especially notable about Imperioli's performance?

6.) Christopher does like his flashy cars. Name four of his other rides.

7.) When a Saturn sedan owned by A.J.'s science teacher is stolen in the second episode, Tony sends Big Pussy and Peter Paul (Paulie Walnuts) Gualtieri to retrieve it. What happens?

8.) That a Chevrolet Corvette would appear in The Sopranos was probably inevitable. Less predictable was that this character would own it. Who is she?

9.) Which of the following items/scenes do NOT appear in the show's opening credits sequence (warning: trick question): flock of ducks, New Jersey Turnpike booth, Statue of Liberty, Paul Bunyan-like statue holding carpet roll, nickel-plated handgun, state trooper car, graveyard next to factories, PIZZALAND shop, World Trade Center, oil tank with "DRIVE SAFELY" message.

10.) Name the cultural institution that rises in New Jersey with the (measured) help of Tony's labour unions.

11.) Like many last rides, Adriana La Cerva's is in a Cadillac. But this is no funeral service coach. Name the model and its driver.

12.) In Season 3's famous Pine Barrens episode, where do Christopher and Paulie spend the night after realizing they are lost in the New Jersey woods?

13.) Dream sequences are a Sopranos signature. In this one, Tony finds himself riding in the back of what could be his father's old Cadillac. Name his fellow occupants.

Bonus question: Name the episode.

14.) As Tony, Gandolfini has moved up in recent seasons to a massive Cadillac Escalade. So in his real life, what kind of hulking vehicle was he piloting in May 2006 when he collided with a New York taxi?

Here are the answers

1.) Uncle "Junior" Saprano

2.) Mercedes-Benz. (The romance starts when she accompanies Tony on a test drive of a 2001 Mercedes SL.)

3.) Matches:
Porsche Cayenne S -- Carmela Soprano
Cadillac DeVille -- Vito Spatafore
Chevrolet Suburban -- Tony Soprano
Oldsmobile 88 -- Livia Soprano
Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa -- Johnny (Sack) Sacramoni
Ford Thunderbird -- Adriana La Cerva
1984 Buick Riviera -- Sal (Big Pussy) Bonpensiero (briefly, on return from "Puerto Rico")
2004 Nissan Xterra SE -- Anthony "A.J." Soprano Jr.
(Score one point for each correct answer; add an extra point if you got all eight.)

4.) True (the 2007 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet appeared in a NASCAR race on March 12, 2006 --the same day as the premiere for Season 6).

5.) Lexus LS 400.
Extra-point bonus: Imperioli had never driven before (during filming, he backed the Lexus into a tree).

6.) Mercedes CLK, Range Rover, Hummer H2, Maserati Coupe (briefly, and formerly owned by Johnny (Sack)Sacramoni).
(Score one point for each correct answer; add an extra point if you got all four.)

7.) Tony's lieutenants find the thieves but not the Saturn, and force the thieves to steal the same model. (The science teacher is confused when he is presented with a Saturn with wet paint and a different colour inside its trunk.)

8.) Angie Bonpensiero, widow of (Big Pussy) and owner of the body shop her husband once operated.

9.) Score one point it you said ducks, gun and police car do not appear (yes, there is a stylized gun as part of The Sopranos logo, but it's not nickel-plated). Score two more if you also noted that the World Trade Center towers were shown only in the first three seasons.

10.) Museum of Science and Trucking.

11.) Cadillac Seville, Silvio Dante (Tony's consigliere). (Score one point for each.)

12.) In an abandoned Chevrolet van.
13.) Carmela (driving), Ralphie Cifaretto (sitting in front of him with a caterpillar on his head that changes into a butterfly or moth) and Gloria Trillo, who changes into Sventlana Kirilenko.
(Score a point for each correct passenger, and one more if you remembered the caterpillar.)
Extra-point bonus: "Calling All Cars."

14.) A Vespa scooter (Gandolfini's subsequent surgery for a knee injury was blamed for delaying production of the final season).
Scoring
0-18: Let's go to the lake. You'll ride in the trunk.
19-33: Just when you thought you were out -- they pulled you back in.
34-40: Commendatori! So what model of Cadillac do you drive?