Hello All.

21 Jan 04 00:02, I wrote to you:

I think this platform clearly reveals Stronach to be a pure Mulroney clone.
In particular; the first item on the list is quite illuminating... see my
comments below.

 MG> If elected leader of the new united-right party and eventually prime
 MG> minister, Stronach said she would support:

 MG> - Cutting taxes while preserving social programs such as health care by
 MG> "baking a bigger economic pie."

More "pie in the sky" economics, such as gave us astronomical
deficits and a massive national debt under the Mulroney Tories. The Tories
just can't seem to grasp the concept that if you want social programs, you
have to /pay/ for them. Cutting taxes to the bone just leaves the coffers
short, and then *poof* goes any surpluses, such as the Canadian government
has been enjoying of late. End result? Deficit budgets, that quickly grow
the national debt.

 MG> - Modernizing government and cutting the cost of delivering services.

Nice idea, but a tried, tired and trite campaign promise that it seems
every politician and their dog likes to make, yet noone ever seem to be
able to figure out how to actually accomplish this.

 MG> - Rebuilding Canada's relationship with the U.S. by, among other things,
 MG> becoming part of the integrated North American security perimeter.

Selling out our national sovereignty, through further integration with the
US. A sure-fire Mulroney hallmark...

 MG> - Scrapping the tax on capital

The rich get richer... More Mulroney crap...

 MG> and making mortgages partially tax-deductible.

At what cost?

 MG> - Rebuilding the military, giving the forces the money and equipment they
 MG> need to do the job more safely.

Again, an honorable and long overdue aim, but where is the considerable
additional needed money going to come from, especially with all these tax
cuts?

 MG> - Encouraging young people to consider jobs as skilled labourers.

???

So they should forget about higher education? Is this a thinly veiled way
of saying that Ms. Belinda plans to cut education spending?

 MG> - Allowing same-sex couples to marry.
 MG> - Beefing up penalties for crimes committed with guns while scrapping the
 MG> long-gun registry.
 MG> - Maintaining criminal bans on the use of marijuana.

I'm indifferent on most of these last issues, athough I feel Marijuana
should be legalized, and gays should be allowed to marry if they want. None
of these are critical issues in my eyes, though.



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