Manitoba Election 2007: The SSP Forumers Perspective - Page 5

Xelebes · #81 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 4:11 AM**

I'm kind of torn between Ukrainian and Welsh.

When my grandmother came from Wales she did not speak a lick of English. With her, she and her family brought a couple books written entirely in Welsh - one including a hymnal written in Cymraig and plainsong. So I have been looking into it, with some attempt at trying to pry at Old English. Since she came to Canada when she was 6 years old, she remembers not a lick of Welsh.

It's fun.

I've also been plodding around with Ukrainian because I've also been thinking of going to the Ukraine to look up a mystery in the family tree.

Greco Roman · #82 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 4:15 AM**

Among Ukranian, I am also English, Polish, Italian and Greek. I am a mute through and through. But was raised in the Ukie backgroundk; hence my affinity for learning the language.

Xelebes · #83 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 4:20 AM**

I can beat that.

I am a Rutho-Picto-Cumbro-Hiberno-Anglo-Swabo-Saxon.

Greco Roman · #84 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 4:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xelebes

I can beat that.

I am a Rutho-Picto-Cumbro-Hiberno-Anglo-Swabo-Saxon.

Hey! Nothing wrong with that!

The way I see it, a true Canadian is a mutt anyways!

Brokenhead · #85 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 5:12 AM**

WOW! This really want off topic.

Well, politics is kinda boring when your not blaming them for everything.

Hopefully there will be more news soon.

Only The Lonely.. · #86 Posted **Feb 17, 2007, 5:16 AM**

Brokenhead · #87 Posted **Feb 21, 2007, 11:12 PM**

The federal budget is set for March 19.

Likely more news about the election will come.

newflyer · #88 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 12:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenhead

The federal budget is set for March 19.

Likely more news about the election will come.

Tax cuts are in the air ...

vid · #89 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 12:34 AM**

Yay! Tax Cuts! Our problems are solved!!

Poverty is over!!! Pollution is gone!! Global warming has ceased!!! Health care is fast and efficient!! God bless the Conservatives! God bless tax cuts!!

I'm bullshitting, of course. A tax cut will have zero impact on my life right now..

newflyer · #90 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 2:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Yay! Tax Cuts! Our problems are solved!!

Poverty is over!!! Pollution is gone!! Global warming has ceased!!! Health care is fast and efficient!! God bless the Conservatives! God bless tax cuts!!

I'm bullshitting, of course. A tax cut will have zero impact on my life right now..

Increased investment in the economy will pay off .. even for you.

Investment leads to a higher national GDP ... further local and national advancement in technologies which can help reduce pollution and improve medical procedures .. more jobs and higher wages.

... or we can all buy into the NDP sollution ... keep taxes high and do nothing. ... Yeah thats great!!!

If you want to make medicare fast and efficient .. socialism is not the way either.. or have you ignored the current state of medicare.

The Jabroni · #91 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 10:30 PM**

You know, f**k it. The NDP can't do anything, and the PC wants to do a different thing, but with the same ideas of the NDP.

I'm voting Liberal on this one. Shift the balance of power to those guys for crissakes!!!

Screw all of those guys! ALL OF THEM!!!

vid · #92 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 10:43 PM**

Vote for the green party. They're different. And only at Canadian Tire!

Greco Roman · #93 Posted **Feb 22, 2007, 10:47 PM**

Maybe a population transplant of politicians will provide some fresh ideas for the province.

Well, nothing else has worked so far....................................

newflyer · #94 Posted **Feb 23, 2007, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

You know, f**k it. The NDP can't do anything, and the PC wants to do a different thing, but with the same ideas of the NDP.

I'm voting Liberal on this one. Shift the balance of power to those guys for crissakes!!!

Screw all of those guys! ALL OF THEM!!!

I will continue to support the PC's .. with the hope they will introduce some economic growth stratagies.... but lets face it the Manitoba PC party is not the the most business friendly party. Infact they are very centre on most issues (ie: can't make up there minds).. which doesn't impress me much.. but is also why the Liberals have problems getting seats. The PC's fill the centre .. now Manitoba needs a right of centre party that wants to focus on building the economy, while also considering the need to rebuild Winnipeg's innercity. Winnipeg is the economic engine of the province and needs to be fostered back into a national centre of business. Until Manitoba takes the bull by the horns and drives for a stronger future it will be stuck in a slow process of unfulfilled potencial.

The Jabroni · #95 Posted **Feb 23, 2007, 4:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by newflyer

I will continue to support the PC's .. with the hope they will introduce some economic growth stratagies.... but lets face it the Manitoba PC party is not the the most business friendly party. Infact they are very centre on most issues (ie: can't make up there minds).. which doesn't impress me much.. but is also why the Liberals have problems getting seats. The PC's fill the centre .. now Manitoba needs a right of centre party that wants to focus on building the economy, while also considering the need to rebuild Winnipeg's innercity. Winnipeg is the economic engine of the province and needs to be fostered back into a national centre of business. Until Manitoba takes the bull by the horns and drives for a stronger future it will be stuck in a slow process of unfulfilled potencial.

Which comes back to the reason why I'm going to vote Liberal, even though it won't make a difference anyway. Or, "remove" all of the leaders and replace them with more capable people. Then it would be awesome to see an extremely close (but not too close to a point of deadlock) race for the Premier's seat. If that ever happens, then voter turnout should be up around at least 75-80% or higher, at least in part though.

One can only dream though...

As for the Green Party... too fringe for me. They have yet to prove themselves to be an actual, full blown party in my opinion. If and/or when they are more influential with their policies, then I'd probably vote for them instead.

Brokenhead · #96 Posted **Feb 23, 2007, 11:09 PM**

CJOB News:

Tories would not sell Hydro:McFadyen
FEB 22 2007 08:20 AM

The leader of the province's Opposition Tories is saying again that his party would keep Manitoba Hydro as a publicly owned utility if they win the next election.
Hugh McFadyen was responding to Premier Gary Doer's comments on CJOB yesterday that the Conservatives would sell Hydro.

McFadyen says his party has big plans for the utility.

McFadyen says there must be an election coming up soon, because the Doer government is ramping up the rhetoric.

CJOB's Kacey Wilson reporting

vid · #97 Posted **Feb 24, 2007, 7:09 AM**

Newflyer supposed the PC Party's policy of anti privatisation!!!!!!

Lookit me! I'm like Ann Coulter and Fox News!!

newflyer · #98 Posted **Feb 24, 2007, 7:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Newflyer supposed the PC Party's policy of anti privatisation!!!!!!

Lookit me! I'm like Ann Coulter and Fox News!!

As I said I am not overly impressed with the Manitoba PC's .. but every other option is further away from where Manitoba needs to go. Somehow the politicains on Broadway are oblivious to business and the ways to build a strong economy. They are all completely dedicated to the have-not policies which has done wonders thus far.

Manitoba is a great reason why equalization in its current form doesn't work, as it doesn't encourge the weaker provinces to take responsibilty for building their own economy. Why bother... we can spend like idiots and still get a fat cheque from Ottawa. Its lazy leadership at its worst.

vid · #99 Posted **Feb 24, 2007, 7:33 AM**

I agree. Periodic change in government will (should) teach a party that it needs to review it's ways, instead of just throwing the same thing at an issue hoping it will miraculously work at some point and cure everything.

Amazingly, Ontario's Liberals were able to fuck up that much in just one term!

Brokenhead · #**100** Posted **Feb 25, 2007, 3:00 AM**

Quote:

New documents further implicate Man. gov't in venture fund's demise: Liberals

Published: Friday, February 23, 2007 | 11:48 PM ET

Canadian Press: STEVE LAMBERT

WINNIPEG (CP) - The Manitoba government was warned in 2000 that the Crocus Investment fund was facing financial trouble and a potential "liquidity crisis," newly-released documents show.

The labour-sponsored venture fund, which was set up by the government in 1992, went into receivership in 2005 after its value plummeted, leaving 34,000 surprised investors hoping to recoup some of their money.

A document, which appears to be a submission to cabinet by NDP Finance Minister Greg Selinger in November 2000, and which bears his signature, raises red flags about the fund's ability to pay the number of people who were expected to redeem their shares in the following years.

The document was released by the province's Liberal party.

"Crocus management advise that they only recently realized the potential for a liquidity crisis," the memo reads.

"They do not expect to be able to sell assets in order to meet redemptions over the next few years."

To address the problem, the fund's operators repeatedly asked for permission to sell more than the regulated limit of $30 million annually in shares - in essence, using money from new investors to pay redemptions of existing investors, instead of using the new money to make new investments.

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard said Friday the documents show the fund was operating more like a fly-by-night scheme than a sustainable investment.

"This was more like a pyramid scheme," said Gerrard, who obtained the document from an anonymous source.

"The government was warned in 2000 that if they didn't manage this well, people who invested afterward . . . could see their (shares) go down significantly."

The NDP government has already come under fire for failing to properly monitor the fund in a scathing 2005 report from former auditor-general Jon Singleton.

The government missed warning signs the fund was headed for trouble in 2001, Singleton wrote, and failed to monitor whether the fund was following its investment rules properly.

The government also repeatedly allowed Crocus officials to exceed the $30-million annual limit on sales of shares, Singleton's report said, and did not properly monitor how the extra money was invested.

Finance Minister Greg Selinger was unavailable for comment Friday evening, but a spokesman for the minister said the document shows nothing new.

"The fact that government was in discussion with Crocus about potential liquidity challenges is not new or particularly significant information," said Colin Lemoine.

"Liquidity issues have nothing to do with the critical issues of fund valuation and performance that lead to the fund's current situation. The auditor has confirmed that neither fund valuation nor fund performance were the responsibility of government."

But the Liberals argue the document goes beyond what was contained in the auditor's report, because they show cabinet was warned in writing that the fund's "liquidity" - its ability to pay redemptions - was headed for a crisis.

"(Selinger) has to resign as finance minister," said Gerrard, who along with the official opposition Progressive Conservatives, has repeatedly called for an inquiry into the Crocus fund.

Premier Gary Doer has said an inquiry is not needed because the auditor-general conducted a full examination.

My dad actually lost money in this