Thursday, May 11, 2017

But Wait! There's More!

 




The federal government is cutting back on disaster assistance:

After a natural disaster like the current severe flooding affecting parts of Quebec and Ontario, provinces can apply to the federal government to reimburse some of their costs through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program. In 2015, the Conservative government tripled the amount a provincial government had to spend on disaster relief to qualify for federal compensation. A province’s total relief bill must now be greater than $3.07 per capita before it can apply to Ottawa for funding. In Quebec, for instance, that threshold is about $25 million.

The change was made because Ottawa was doling out far more DFAA money than planned, Thistlethwaite said.

During a premiers’ meeting last summer, the provinces called on the federal government to restore funding for floods and other natural disasters. The changes, they argued, “substantially reduced the federal government’s share of disaster-related costs, offloading these onto individuals, provinces and territories.”

Meanwhile, Trudeau implored Canadians to dig into their pockets instead of the government doing so.




If there is any government that knows the value of a tax dollar, it's a Liberal one:

With the Liberals planning to spend $8,337 per person in 2017, the government of Justin Trudeau is close to breaking the all-time record for per-capita federal expenditures, according to a new report by the Fraser Institute.

The number one spot, however, remains Stephen Harper. The Conservative leader hit a per-Canadian total of $8,375 in 2009 when he was overseeing spending increases intended to counteract the effects of the global recession. 

However, the Fraser Institute noted that the Liberals’ spending peak is coming at a time of relative prosperity and peace.

“Prime Minister Trudeau’s historically high level of spending comes in the absence of a recession or war,” read a statement by the institute, which generally advocates for lower taxes and smaller government.

**

On Tuesday it was revealed the federal government spent $1877.24 of taxpayer dollars on 14 celebrity-style cardboard cut-outs of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The cuts-outs were ordered by Global Affairs Canada and placed at Canadian missions around the world.

(Sidebar: who doesn't want to see Trudeau's ugly face?)


But this isn't entirely a waste. Think of all these uses for these cut-outs:

1. Carbon tax collector
2. Scaring pigeons off apartment balcony railings
3. Legalized pot test subject
4. Bonfire starter for Earth Hour
5. Stand-in for Trudeau when he wants a selfie with himself
6. Stand-in for Trudeau during Question Period
7. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about Harjit Sajjan
8. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about “modest deficits”
9. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked how budgets balance themselves
10. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about growing economy from heart outwards
11. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about promised small business tax cut
12. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about revenue neutral middle class tax cut
13. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about electoral reform
14. Stand-in for Trudeau when asked about veterans’ pensions
15. Seat holder at music concert
16. Seat holder at Juno awards
17. Seat holder on Aga Khan’s helicopter
18. Seat holder at Broadway openings
19. Seat holder when meeting with Chinese billionaires to defend Canada’s middle class




Or maybe these cut-outs can field these questions (video here):

How many times, he was asked, has he met with the ethnics commissioner regarding his much-publicized Christmas holiday junket to the private Caribbean island owned by the Aga Khan?
It was hardly a tough question.

Trudeau could have said, “once.” Or “twice.” Or whatever was the correct number of times.
Instead, he gave the non-answer of “being happy to work” with Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson, and his willingness to “answer any question she might ask.”

So the opposition asked him the same question again. And again. And again. And again.

In fact, the opposition asked Trudeau the same question a total of 18 times, all with the same result and the same non-answer coming from Trudeau as if his tongue were pre-programmed.

Trudeau’s principal secretary, Gerald Butts, obviously thought this was somehow hilarious.

“MPs from all over Canada finally get a chance to ask the Prime Minister a question,” he tweeted

“They ask about his Christmas vacation. It’s May.”

This, of course, is Politics 101. When your opponents are zeroing in on a touchy subject, accuse them of avoiding real issues.

The “real issue” here, of course, is that we have a politician in Justin Trudeau who would rather play silly bugger in the House of Commons than be a prime minister.

After Wednesday’s disgraceful performance, it should now be obvious to even the most ardent Liberal.

People like Trudeau and Butts get away with arrogance because no one has ever disabused them of the notion that arrogance is rude, insufferable and frustrating. I've seen people get angrier over cable bills than they do the performance of their politicians. Whenever these windbags are not reminded that they serve (and are paid by) the public, they become tiresome absolutists who think that they can do as they wish. After all, no one has stopped them before.

Can Butts or Trudeau spell NO CONFIDENCE VOTE?

I pray to God that is coming down the pipe. Every single MP of whatever party denied an answer should get to work on that or they can deal with Trudeau's ugly smirk on whichever day it is he decides to show up for work.




Also in Liberal arrogance news:

An internal cabinet document leaked to the Progressive Conservatives shows that electricity rates in the province will spike come 2022.

The document, which breaks down the Liberal government’s recently announced plan to slash hydro rates by 25%, shows that prices will begin to rise for the average homeowner following this year. The government plans to cap the rate increases to 2% a year, but then they spike when that cap expires in 2022.

This cat is not at all surprised.

**

A new report reveals that low-income working Canadians with disabilities are facing tax rates of over 100% and advocates say that has to change.

(Sidebar: cuts-outs don't pay for themselves.)




After raising a pro-life flag to commemorate the twentieth annual walk for life, pants-soilers do an about-face and pull it down:

The City of Ottawa raised the National March for Life flag outside City Hall hours before the big anti-abortion rally downtown.

That caused seven councillors to sign a call for the city to take the flag down.

There should only be three flags raised on public property: the Canadian flag, the provincial or territorial flag and the city flag. No other flags should be entertained.

Should the municipality choose to do so, then anything is game. One cannot have it every which way. Anything else is poor public policy and censorship. If the pants-soilers want to be eight years old about this and only see the things that they like, then they should make haste to North Korea and raise the taegukgi there. It's not a gay or pro-abortion flag or anything but its quick removal should spin some heads.

Flag of South Korea.svg
These colours are tired of your crap, Ottawa city councillors.



Also:

The City of Edmonton backtracked and abruptly cancelled plans to light up its High Level Bridge for Alberta's provincial March for Life this week, because the pro-life request does not meet its guidelines for events with a positive community impact.

The abortion issue is “really polarizing,” a city representative said, making the pro-life request to light the bridge something the city would not support.

“We cancelled it at the last minute because the request itself did not reflect the voice of the community as per our guidelines,” said Nicole Poirier, the city’s director of civic events and festivals. 

“It’s normally (lit up for) events that are major events and cultural celebrations, or support for local festivals and events that positively impact the local community spirit.”


What. Ever.




And now, quiet things down with "Corcovado". Enjoy.

 

(Merci)

No comments: