Goldstein: Private Medicine & PQ -- MemLane: Asymmetrical Again? & PM Hype, Crime Pays -&- Maritime Scuttlebutt

Do you suppose it's asymmetrical?

Lorrie Goldstein: Today, let's examine how this bias applies to health care. Dec. 6, 05

[. . . . ] The Liberal government of Quebec Premier Jean Charest recently announced it will delay a white paper on reforming medicare in Quebec until after this election.

That paper will outline Quebec's plans for expanding private medical insurance in light of the Supreme Court of Canada's recent ruling declaring as unconstitutional Quebec's laws banning the purchase of such insurance. This in light of the lengthy wait times patients now face for treatment.

Hint: Ask Paul Martin about the Quebec Liberal Party's passing a "little-noticed resolution" in Laval, I think it was; ask him about his plans for health care. Will he continue to use a private clinic? What are his plans for the rest of us? Does he own stock in any . . .

Search: Martin's dirty work




Memory Lane: Transport Min. Jean Lapierre & Asymmetrical Federalism

Asymmetrical . . . again

Or is there a more appropriate word?

Transport Minister Jean Lapierre: "With government in Ottawa that's sensitive (to Quebec) we can deliver the merchandise." -- "Quebec negotiates an extra $500 million in federal transfers" Jonathan Montpetit, Nov. 11, 05, CP

[. . . . ] Lapierre's speech to the Quebec wing included several references to deals struck between Ottawa and Quebec City over the past year, outlining what appeared to be a battle-plan to overcome Gomery fallout.

Citing agreements reached on health-care and day-care funding, parental leaves and gas taxes, Lapierre described a federal government that is attentive to Quebec's needs [. . . ]

Memory Lane: on the ascendancy of Paul Martin to the PMO

Another litany.

Paul Martin Architect of a new Canada, or just full of hot air? The Manitoban, Feb. 4, 04, by Carson Jerema, Volunteer Staff

http://
umanitoba.ca/manitoban/
2003-2004/0204/nf_01.html

Relations with the west [ . . . . ]
Federal-provincial relations [ . . . . ]
New deal for cities [ . . . . ]
Health and social assistance [ . . . . ]
Corporate tax cuts [ . . . . ]

[MP and Justice Critic] Vic Toews agrees that tax cuts are positive for the economy. However, Toews is concerned about Martin's relationship with his former companies. Toews says that when Martin was finance minister he registered nine companies in the Barbados, depriving the federal treasury of approximately $200 million. Toews questions whether Martin's former companies will be paying taxes.

"What I'm concerned about is if he's lowering the tax rate, is he also putting back his companies to paying taxes so that they are to bear their fair share?"

Professor Baragar argues that corporate tax cuts don't necessarily increase productivity and investment.

The armed forces [ . . . . ]
The budget [ . . . . ]
The democratic deficit [ . . . . ]
Canada-U.S. relations [ . . . . ]
In the end [ . . . . ]

The hype surrounding Martin's ascendancy . . . overstated, . . . judge him on what he actually delivers . . . Otto Lang says it would be impossible for Martin to live up to the hype.

Crime pays -- "Lysyk out on parole: Disgraced Edmonton banker who stole $16M now in halfway house after serving 14 months", Chris Purdy, The Edmonton Journal, Dec. 6, 05 via Newsbeat1

A former bank [of Montreal] manager imprisoned for stealing $16 million in one of the biggest bank frauds in Canadian history is now a free man after 14 months in prison.

[. . . . ] The Bank of Montreal recovered $5 million in cash and assets. The bank has launched a lawsuit against Lysyk, his wife, daughter, son-in-law and six escorts alleging they were all part of a conspiracy to defraud the bank. The suit has yet to go to trial. [. . . . ]

For any of the guys out there who might think of calling an escort service--apparently Ottawa is full of them--search: their male associates

Some criminals with the right political connections abuse taxpayer money and don't go to jail at all. Special cases. Politics.



Scuttlebutt

Incidentally, I've heard that one piece of wisdom circulating in the Maritimes for a while has been; if you want a job, join the Liberal Party, then vote as you wish at the ballot box. With their compliant media, the usual suspects have managed to keep Easterners in thrall to the promise of something positive in the future, along with pork for the better placed friends -- and it worked. Maritimers seemed to actually belief the guff they'd been fed for so long by the party of pork and sleaze. However, in grocery stores and elsewhere, the scuttlebutt is that--not putting anyone's job in jeopardy, you understand--Maritimers' attitudes are changing . . . in response to revelations about how the rich gerrymander the system to become even more rich.

This dawning awareness may be behind the media's pro-PM/Lib frenzy and that dreadful hatchet job done on Stephen Harper by Global TV news Nov. 30. No-one reads the wealthy Irving family-owned newspapers expecting in depth coverage nor balance. The papers serve, not so much for news as for advertising sales, a few job ads--some already designed to fit one person earmarked as the favoured--notices of meetings, weddings, births, obituaries, and the like. CTV and Global? See my post Dec. 6. CBC. There are subtle changes in their coverage, as they try to appear more 'balanced' ... but they fail because of strident bias, tone, placement, what they choose to feature, and photos of the PM lead every newscast, huffing and puffing and promising . . . same old, same old; kill any story that might disturb their cushy jobs, propped by taxpayer paid advertising money.

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