Harper vs. Martin

Well fellow sheeple it looks like the Liberals are getting desperate. This weekend they trotted out that old war horse Paul Martin to help out poor Iggy. Don't they know how badly Martin will look in comparison to PM Harper. What can they be thinking?

Let's start by looking at just how differently PM Harper and Paul Martin look at the world. When Paul Martin was Finance Minister he would always "under promise and over deliver".  So for example he would say the budget deficit would be $15 billion, but then at the last moment it would come in at only $5 billion. This was outright and calculated deception inflicted on the Canadian people. We saw it year after year like budget surpluses projected at $3 billion that ended up being $12 billion. Martin was ruthlessly focused on paying down the debt and would go as far as deceiving Canadians and depriving them of their deserved tax cuts just to reach his goals. All we got from his tenure was reduced deficits, then surpluses, and then a lower national debt.

PM Harper and his Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did nothing of the sort. They stayed focused on cutting taxes, no matter what the economic situation. They made sure that they always "over promised and under delivered", no trickery at all. When the economy was going well (July 1, 2006) The Harper team made a bold move to return money to the Canadian public by cutting the GST to 6% from 7%. Then on Jan 1, 2008 they cut it further to 5%. On Oct 30, 2007 they boldly announced $60 billion in tax cuts! Wow, finally a government focused on giving money back to the people.

Of course there were some that questioned whether giving people tax cuts (which stimulate the economy) was a wise thing to do whilst the Bank of Canada was aggressively raising interest rates to try and slow down the economy, but they were probably just Liberals who wanted to use all that tax cut money to pay down more of the debt before the next recession came along. Who says you can't have your foot on both the gas and the brake pedal at the same time?

Of course we once again do have huge budget deficits in Canada. But, we also know that it is in NO way due to the stupid generous tax cuts given to the sheeple by Mr. Flaherty. It's just that with the recession tax revenues went down and expenses went up. After all who could have known that a recession was coming, and who could have known that tax cuts would actually lead to a decline in revenue and an increase in budget deficits. Certainly not any Conservative we have ever talked to.

As we look to the future, and a Harper majority government, we know that all the new tax cuts and tax benefits and tax credits being promised will lead to a much better financial picture. There is no truth to the rumour that all the tax cuts will actually lead to a reduction in revenue and bigger deficits. That just can not happen. Just remember the tried and true Tory approach - over promise and under deliver.
...

Harper is "Anti-Crime"

Great news today. The CBC is reporting that Stephen Harper is "Anti-Crime" (Harper touts anti-crime agenda) Take that Liberals, NDPers and Blocs. I have yet to see any media reports of your leaders being "anti-crime". Only PM Harper has so far come out and taken such a courageous and principled stand.

Let's be honest here fellow sheeple. We don't know why we have crime and we don't know why it keeps increasing decreasing, but as sheeple we do know that something has to be done about it. We know in our gut that criminals are getting away with something (what they are getting away with we are not too sure about, but we know it must be something - they are criminals after all). That's why we need more prisons, more prison guards, higher walls on the prisons, more drugs drug testing in the prisons, more police, and more guns on the streets in our homes, smaller federal budget deficits, and lower taxes (especially on guns and ammunition). We know that, through the conservative principals of voodoo economics, it is possible to both spend lots more money on fighting crime and criminals, and yet still be able to save money. We know PM Harper will explain all of this to us once he receives his majority.

Make sure though my fellow sheeple that you do not pay attention to the news out of the UK these days. Its seems that the Tories over there have not been listening closely enough to what PM Harper is saying. Why just today the Justice Secretary in the UK (supposedly a Conservative) came out with the following statement "prison is a waste of money". He went on to say that the rate of jail sentencing is "financially unsustainable". All I can say is it is a very good thing PM Harper does not pay much attention to what actually goes on away from Sussex Drive, or to anything that conflicts with his own pig-headed "from the gut" ideology, because you know what they say about facts.....

...

Canada's youth should be studying .... not voting

Yes it is now April, the month of April showers that will bring May flowers, or in sheeple terms, an April campaign that will bring a May majority government.

But of course April is also the month of exams for the many college and university students out there, a time when these youngsters are finally actually studying after months of partying, a time when they are focusing on their studies and so have precious little extra time to learn all the nuances of the various political platforms in order to inform themselves correctly before they vote. And then, before you can blink, exams will be over and it will time to move home or to work for the summer. For many students May 2 will be the first day of their summer jobs, and therefore not a day to be spent trudging off to the polls.

Of course the Conservative party knew that when they picked May 2 as the day for the election. You see! Just one more reason to give PM Harper his deserved majority.

Now usually I don't like to get too deeply into specifics on this blog, after all this blog is for the sheeple, not actual thinking voters. Still I think it is important that you realize just how "competent" your party is, and how proud you should be of it. 

One of the things that it is important to remember is the difference between Canadian and American politics. In the US it is all about image and glowing feelings about the nation's future (Hope, Change, "Morning in America"). In Canada though we are far more reasonable. Here it's all about "competence". And as we saw from the debates this week PM Harper is definitely not about image or ideas or glowing feelings. He is all about competence. Again, why else do you think the election is on May 2. 

You will be happy to know that the Conservative team has taken very lengthy and informative "voter suppression" courses from our friends, the Republicans in the US (of course we don't really call it "voter suppression" ... its more like making sure "those" people can't or don't vote ... and we all know who "those" people are) . 

The US Republicans have been able to develop this into a science and so we had much to learn. One of their key "take away" points was to make sure that the people who might not vote for you do not in fact actually vote. The election is not just about getting the most people to vote for you, it is also about getting those people who might vote against you to stay home, away from any dangerous ballot boxes.

To that end the Conservative Party has focused its attention on a number of key areas:

1. Iggy. We have thrown the book at Iggy because if we can knock off the "head", the body will follow. The goal is not so much to convince Liberals to vote Tory, but to get Liberals to just stay home. 

2. Arguing. It turns out Canadians don't like their politicians to argue with each other. So of course the more we can have Iggy and Jack arguing away the more they become disgusted with all politicians and so stay home on election day. (Of course Tory voters know who is really competent, so they still turn up to vote).

3. Funding. This one is really for the future, but ultimately by cutting off the gravy train of money for opposition parties (your tax dollars going to the Bloc) we can let the better informed wealthy (why do you think they are wealthy) fund the party that best looks after their interests (and their interests are your interests too, trust us), just like in the US.

4. Young people. As we saw in Guelph this week, if we are not careful the young may actually get organized and may actually vote. We saw what happened in Egypt and Tunisia and Libya when young people, using their modern technologies started to organize and "gang up" on the establishment. It becomes chaos, with governments being overthrown. This can not be allowed to happen in Canada. So, we are working closely with Elections Canada to stifle quickly any attempt by "flash mobs" of young voters to cast uninformed ballots (see - "competence" again).

Remember sheeple this election is all about "competence". It is absolutely imperative that your next Canadian leader be someone who is able to effectively run the country, even if there is no "vision" or path to head along. After all it is no sense having a destination if you don't know how to drive. We all know that PM Harper knows how to drive, and that is the most impotent thing. Now is the time to give him a shiny new "majority" car so that he can go wherever he chooses to go, or maybe just nowhere, because we know he will do it competently.
...

Arrogant? ... No. ..... Entitled? ... Certainly!

There have been some recent articles in the media claiming that some people see PM Harper as being arrogant. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. PM Harper is merely playing his role as PM. Take for instance the case of PM Harper only agreeing to take 5 questions from the press each day. This is perfectly normal. In a busy day there is only so much time available, and it is a waste of time to keep answering the same questions over and over again. Don"t forget that the PM, unlike his opponents, also has a country to run. Clearly the PM is entitled to a little slack on this one.

There have also been complaints about access to events being restricted to supporters only. Well what do you expect? Do you really want the prospect of our PM being heckled by opposition riff raff? Surely our PM is entitled to a little more respect than that. (Heck, even the former President of the USA, that much beloved man of the people, President George Bush II, used to use similar filtering systems for his events.)

RHIP (rank has it's privileges), so of course as PM Mr. Harper is in a different league than his opponents. He has already proven that he can be trusted as PM (That little thing about turning a surplus into a deficit is just that, a little thing. Who could have known that cutting taxes would also cut revenue?). Meanwhile those other pretenders to the throne have yet to prove that they can run anything. That's why they need to be subjected to far greater scrutiny and why for example we should stop pestering him about the G-20 auditors report (Hey, a little pork is just part of the job, and a billion is "just a little bit", just a bunch of zeros after all).

PM Harper on the other hand merely has to explain how much easier his job would be were he to have a majority. To do so it is not necessary to face unfriendly crowds or pesky reporters. That is why, despite any appearance to the contrary, PM Harper is not being arrogant, he is just being "entitled".

PM Harper and the "Art of Doing Nothing"

The other night Brian Mulroney, a conservative PM from the distant past, was on TV being interviewed by Steve Pakin. The Toronto Star ran with the story and commented on Mulroney's less than enthusiastic support for our PM Harper.

If you saw the interview or read the Star article (Really??? You read the Star?) there are a few things you need to know.

PM Harper wants to be PM because he wants to be PM, nothing else (except maybe having a few trips overseas, buying some F-35s, and having a nice cottage in the Gatineaus). There is no secret agenda ... because quite simply, PM Harper doesn't see the point. He's PM and that is enough.

Now Mr. Mulroney said:

“There are big ideas out there,” said the man who helped end apartheid in South Africa and gave Canada free trade with the United States.

“Popularity is meaningless unless you use it to do big and good things for your country and for the people of Canada.”

Obviously Mr. Mulroney has different ideas about the role of government. He seems to think the point of being PM is to actually do something. Fortunately PM Harper knows better. Take this response:

“What, really, have we got to show for our five years in office?” asked a former senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Luckily the answer is almost nothing. Except for a grab bag of tax cuts and tax credits, and spreading some pork around to all the ridings that were smart enough to vote Tory last time, the Harper government has done just what Canadians want it to do - nothing.

So when your friends talk to you about who to vote for, you can proudly remind them that the Tories have done and will continue to do nothing. As one Tory MP concisely explained:

"Being in power is better than not being in power"

And that is really all you need to know. 

TFSA limits to be DOUBLED!

Oh Yeah! ..... PM Harper has announced that as soon as the federal budget is balanced (circa 2030?) TFSA contribution limits will double to $10,000 a year. This is absolutely wonderful news for all the savers out there. No longer will you have to pay income tax on your unsheltered hard earned 0.50% interest. Just imagine the savings! It should easily be enough for an extra double double at least once a year. Finally, hard working Canadians like you will be justly rewarded for their thrift.

Now you may hear some whiners out there saying that this is just another tax break for the wealthier in our society. You know, the people who have run out of contribution room on their RRSPs, their RESPs, and their $5,000 TSFAs. Surely these whiners don't know what they are talking about. There is no way that someone making say $250,000 a year with two children would ever be able to max out these deductions. By the time they make mortgage payments, car payments, private school tuition, ski vacations, European vacations, golf club memberships, and doggie day spas there is no way they could have enough extra income to benefit from this increase in limits. No this is not a break for the wealthy.

The true beneficiary of this visionary change will be your average Stephen. No longer forced to save through an RRSP, with its limited tax benefits (if you are in a lower tax bracket you only get a small percentage refund) and penalties for early withdrawals, average Stephen will be able to save, tax sheltered (just like the rich), and with maximum flexibility. If he needs his money, say to buy a new big screen TV, he will be able to easily access it, without penalty.

Of course there are other nervous Nellies out there that wonder about the long term impact on people's retirement savings from these changes. Not to worry. In fact, according to our calculations and projections, the increased TSFA allowances will convince many Canadians to bypass the restrictive RRSPs all together. When they put their money into a TSFA instead of an RRSP the government does not have to give them a tax refund, so it saves lots of money and therefore will be able to reduce the federal deficit even more quickly. Of course this will mean less tax revenue in later years, but by then PM Harper will be long gone, so who cares.

Let's not forget that there are also well deserved benefits for investors, the people who risk their money to provide us all with jobs. At $20,000 a year for an average couple, within 5 years they would be able to put away $100,000 (and $200,000 in 10 years) and invest it with all their capital gains being totally tax free! Just think of the wonders this will do for job creation as well as rightly rewarding the risk takers in our society.

.

Doing your job

My fellow sheeple I must congratulate you on your work so far in this campaign. I took a drive around several areas of town and I have to say I am impressed with the way you have bought into the PM Harper campaign. 

As I drove through the working class and poorer areas of the riding it warmed my heart to see the number of Conservative signs sitting proudly on people's lawns. Sheeple you are really doing your job!

But ... as I drove around the middle class and wealthier parts of the riding I was a little shocked to see that red liberal signs seemed to outnumber the Tory blue signs. Something does seem to be amiss.

So ... I have a request of you, my fellow sheeple. When you go back to work on Monday make sure you talk to your bosses and middle managers. Make sure they understand that PM Harper is working for all Canadians, not just the poor and less well-off.

If you need a bit of extra ammunition I suggest using a wonderful little story that we picked up from the latest US demonstrations. You see there is this businessman, an employee, and welfare recipient sitting around a table with 12 cookies on it. The businessman takes 11 of the cookies then leans over to the employee and whispers "Be careful, that welfare recipient wants to steal your cookie!"

Now I am guessing the point of the story may not be all that clear to you, but don't worry, if you tell this to your boss or manager I can assure you they will get the message right away. Try it out and let's make sure even the wealthy are voting Tory this time.