Emanicipate yourself from mental slavery.
None but ourselves can save our minds.

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John Ivison: “[McGuinty] scored a priceless photo op with a heart-throb from the sub-continent, at a time when his closest political rival is being portrayed as a xenophobe. This election may come down to such tinsel. There’s no question who has been more sure-footed on the stump during week one.”

Matt Gurney: “What the province’s voters could stand to hear much less of, however, is the “foreign worker” nonsense that the Tories, and Tim Hudak himself, insist on peddling..insisted on offering us the nonsense about “foreign workers,” despite the fact that the Liberals say their plan would only apply to Canadian citizens who already live in Ontario. You know — not foreigners.  It’s a risky, pointless route for the Tories to take. One misplaced word can easily turn this unasked for gift from the Liberals into a live grenade without the pin. This is an issue where anyone speaking on behalf of the PCs, from Hudak on down to the lowest staffer for the most expendable sacrificial Tory lamb in a safe Liberal riding, can easily invite a public relations disaster simply by misspeaking. UPDATE: Check that — it might already be in progress. Jane McKenna, the PC candidate in Burlington, Ont., was quoted by local media saying, “When did we become for immigrants?…”

 

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…they do.

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2011 /CNW/ – The Ontario PC’s moral downward spiral accelerated this afternoon with the publication of a stunning news report by Metroland Media Group in which far-right Carleton Mississippi Mills PC candidate Jack MacLaren stated that he was in politics to fight for his “culture.”

MacLaren says in the report, posted to YourOttawaRegion.com:  “All across the Western world, countries are willing to stand up a little more.  I am willing to fight for my culture and heritage…”

MacLaren went on to state that it was “fair” to compare the rightward movement of Hudak’s PC’s to the U.S.-based, far-right Tea Party movement.

The report about MacLaren did not make clear which “culture” MacLaren is seeking to protect.  However, MacLaren and PC MPP Randy Hillier were founders of the Ontario Landowners’ Association (OLA), a fringe group long associated with inflammatory intolerance.  For example, the OLA’s manifesto opposed support for what it called “Native, Arts, Homosexual, Urban and Multi cultures.”

The rightward movement of the Ontario PCs, and the presence of OLA extremists, has even led to Hudak’s party being criticized by former PC leader Ernie Eves, who recently denounced his party for becoming the “Tea Party version of Ontario politics.”

Which “culture” is MacLaren and his like-minded Conservatives fighting for?  Does Tim Hudak agree a “culture war” is indeed underway?  Are Hudak’s attacks on what he has called “foreigners” part of it?

 

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If this one doesn’t want to make you throw up, nothing will.

Tea Party Tim Hudak’s campaign of intolerance swung through Burlington today, with his hand-picked candidate smearing new Canadians with the sort of language that will blow your mind.

Jane McKenna, a failed municipal candidate whose previous priority was getting more booze outlets in her area, told the Burlington Post that she opposed helping new Canadian citizens get the certification they need to work in their chosen profession. If that’s not enough, McKenna then went on to say:

“When did we become for immigrants?”

That’s a quote.

Here’s a newsflash for McKenna, and her “leader,” who have piloted Ontario campaign 2011 straight into the gutter on only day three of the contest: Canada and Ontario have always been “for” immigrants.  We are, in fact, a nation of immigrants.

As former PC leader John Tory has said, Hudak has been “stirring up envy and negativity” in the election campaign.  And, like John said, Hudak himself favoured a more generous plan to assist newcomers just a year ago.  (Meanwhile, the Ontario Liberal plan, Tory noted on his drive-home radio show, was “one of the best investments” we could make.  He’s right.)

Hudak and McKenna’s attacks on hard-working, tax-paying citizens demeans them, and their party.

I’d say they should be ashamed of themselves, but I think they lost their capacity for shame long ago.

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Tax blunder puts Hudak in an awkward spot:

The revelation that PC candidate Randy Hillier hasn’t paid his taxes has critics questioning Tim Hudak’s support for the property rights activist

globeandmail.com
Fri Sep 9 2011, 2:09pm ET
Section: Other
Byline: Steve Ladurantaye

The Progressive Conservatives’ election platform couldn’t be any clearer – the party wants to see “change that guarantees a promising future to every hard-working family that plays by the rules.”

Which is why Leader Tim Hudak suddenly finds himself in such an awkward position amid revelations that property rights activist and Conservative candidate Randy Hillier hasn’t paid his taxes.

At a press conference Friday following a speech to the Economic Club of Canada, Mr. Hudak refused to say whether he would continue to support Mr. Hillier even though he is behind on his taxes. Canada Revenue Agency has placed two liens on the candidate’s home, one for $9,017 and another for $5,863.

“When we found out about this we asked Randy to provide more details,” Mr. Hudak said. “My understanding is Randy is negotiating a way to pay back those taxes. I’ve not talked to Randy directly … I’m satisfied Randy will be good to his word in negotiating a settlement.”

When asked if he would speak with Mr. Hillier about the taxes, he said he would talk to him at some point “just as I’ll be talking to every caucus member. “

Mr. Hillier is running in Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. He said in a release Thursday night that he and his wife sold a property together, and that was the source of the tax claim.

He also pinned the blame to his wife: “A few years after the sale of some property owned by my wife, a dispute arose with the Canada Revenue Agency on the amount of tax related to the sale.

“There is still an outstanding amount owing by my wife. My wife has engaged with CRA and is working to reach a settlement and expects this matter to be resolved very soon.

“Many thousands of Canadians have disagreements very similar to this with the CRA. I find it unfortunate and disappointing that my political opponents would go to such extraordinary lengths to try to harm me publicly by attacking my wife’s personal and private matters.”

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It’s a well-known, well-read list. Items 1, 2 and 3 certainly are interesting.

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I don’t know where these web sites come from, honest I don’t, but here’s a neato one about Andrea Horwath – who has moved her party so far to the Right, she’s practically attending tea parties with Tim Hudak.

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…and don’t even get me started on what he thinks about women’s reproductive health.

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Jason Kenney – who never met a contradiction he couldn’t get his arms around – is now weighing in, as it were, on the Ontario election.  And so he  apparently thinks Tea Party Tim Hudak’s plan to render Ontario into Arizona is a cool idea.

Would that be the same Jason Kenney, perchance, who said these things?

“As you know, they have great challenges in having their foreign degrees and qualifications recognized by the relevant licensing bodies here in Canada. And if they’re not within those categories of those professions, almost all newcomers find themselves stuck in the Canadian experience paradox, as I call it: no Canadian job without Canadian experience; no Canadian experience without a Canadian job.“

“That’s why our government has tripled the federal investment in integration, settlement and language training – programs with free English and French courses for newcomers to Canada.“(Speaking Notes for The Hon. Jason Kenney, PC MP, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism to the 2009 Top Employer Summit “Helping Newcomers to Enter the Workforce”, Toronto, Ontario November 19, 2009)

Jason, how are you ever going to run for Stephen Harper’s job when you’ve contorted yourself into knots?

 

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Yet here we are, the Tories’ gaping lead shrunk like the wool sweater I accidentally put in the dryer. No one is predicting the outcome now.

Why? Neither Hudak nor Horwath have been inspiring. Neither have ambitious platforms. People in Toronto who elected conservative Mayor Rob Ford to “stop the gravy train” are finding out that could mean cutting popular services. But I wouldn’t dare judge a volatile electorate yet…

From the University of Windsor medical and engineering schools, to the casino to the Windsor-Essex Parkway, Duncan, Pupatello and the Liberals have delivered here. We received more money than anywhere else to stimulate the economy during the recession.

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