Jack Layton...Professional snake oil salesman…

[Corneliousrooster]

Rubbish. There are many people like me in similar shoes who face this reality:
I am making less money now than I have in a decade, the cost of living has gone up dramatically and I am paying more taxes than I ever have before! That is success?
Harper has had 5 years to accomplish something and what has he done? Nothing. Canada was projected to gain 20,000 jobs in February but actually lost 1500! Lots of people are tired of seeing their wages go down, cost of living and taxes go up while big business makes record earnings and gets a free ride via tax breaks. Who's sucking who's teat?

perhaps Harper has done a poor job illustrating his great success's and the benefits to the common man

SARCASM OFF!

you seemed to have missed it..... I do not think Harper has any "great success's" or benefits to relay to the common man.

[UnknownResident]

Well I've thoroughly debunked the myth that Harper has done much to make us strong in the recession. And what fiscal record does he have that's so good? Canada's largest surplus to Canada's largest deficit? See this is where the righties go astray... .

This is where the lefties go astray, trying to re-write history. If Harper hadn't gone into deficit spending, we'd have been at the polls again within a year of the 2008 election. What you have is the product of a minority government. Your spin on actual historical events would only work if Harper had gone into deficit with a majority, as it stands it is just pure spin, and a giant load of BS you are trying to sell there UR. I thought you were a bit better than the garden variety anti-Harper nuts on this thread UR, but this post kind of ruined that for me.

Let's put it another way, did or did he not table a budget with a deficit? Of course he did, he then had to accommodate for the other things one of the other parties wanted in that budget. So he did enough to get it passed. Did he do everything the other parties wanted? No, he did enough to get some support to pass it. You know the saying "The straw that broke the camels back"? I think you're blaming the broken back on the straw, and not the full load.

I can't actually believe you said that this is the product of a minority government, surely not. By that logic anything that you claim has went well because of the Harper government (economy namely) is because of the minority situation. Our good fortunes are not due to either of course. But you can't pick and choose where you get to use that mindset, it either works for all cases or none of them.

[Fritzthecat]

[Rubbish. There are many people like me in similar shoes who face this reality:
I am making less money now than I have in a decade, the cost of living has gone up dramatically and I am paying more taxes than I ever have before! That is success?
Harper has had 5 years to accomplish something and what has he done? Nothing. Canada was projected to gain 20,000 jobs in February but actually lost 1500! Lots of people are tired of seeing their wages go down, cost of living and taxes go up while big business makes record earnings and gets a free ride via tax breaks. Who's sucking who's teat?

Not to use facts over a good rant but Canada’s National employment rate rose this year over this time last year. Or put another way, MORE people are working today than they were one year ago. Perhaps you would rather be in one of those other countries that has a 10% unemployment rate or higher? Because Layton’s fiscal fantasy platform is taken straight from tax and spend polices that have basically bankrupt most other countries and only succeeding in driving people out of work. If you think you are paying more in tax today what do you think another $ 70 billion in new Jack Layton spending would do to your tax bill ? Or do you seriously believe that all of that money will come from “cap and trade”, tax on carbon, and increased corporate taxes ?

Well those air planes are gonna cost us how much again? And as I recall they don't even have engines in them. Pretty expensive gliders.

"In its report on the Joint Strike Fighter dated March 2009, the GAO states, "The total expected investment is now more than $1 trillion -more than $300 billion to acquire 2,456 aircraft and $760

billion in life cycle operation and support costs." This ratio of the costs to buy versus the costs to support, of about 1 to 2.5, mirrors my experiences at DND. Applying this ratio to Canada's potential purchase would result in a purchase price of $7.8 billion (at $120 million per aircraft), long-term support costs of $19.5 billion, for a total cost of $27.3 billion over approximately 25 years. Is the government still sticking to its $16 billion dollar estimate?"
Rest of the article here: http://communities.canada.com/ottawacit ... dians.aspx
We can buy war machines but we can't ensure Canadians with the basics like food, shelter and health care? There is no reason that any Canadian should be without the basics unless they choose so. Too many working poor choosing food or shelter but not having both. Maybe they have one of those marvellous jobs you and Mr. Harper are so proud of? The ones that pay a few cents over minimum wage and give you a generous 20 hours per week.

[NAB]

FreeRights wrote: "As per Layton's economic platform, I disagree with you. Most of his fiscal platform is identical to that of the Liberals, and is generally sound."

Whoa there Mabel! Even the Liberals are calling Layton's economic platform total madness. I rather doubt that would be so if it was identical to theirs, because that would be hypocritical.. no?

Nab

[The Green Barbarian]

FreeRights wrote: "As per Layton's economic platform, I disagree with you. Most of his fiscal platform is identical to that of the Liberals, and is generally sound."

Whoa there Mabel! Even the Liberals are calling Layton's economic platform total madness. I rather doubt that would be so if it was identical to theirs, because that would be hypocritical.. no?

Nab

Of all the snake oil that Jackolayton has peddled this election, the above comment you quoted is by far the biggest potion. I can't believe that there are people out there that could think that his fiscal fantasy is even close to the Liberals. Unbelievable! Yet people are falling for this load of crap hook line and sinker. Just boggles the mind.

[grumpydigger]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011 ... 85936.html TORONTO - Jack Layton was found laying naked on a bed by Toronto Police at a suspected Chinatown bawdy house in 1996, a retired Toronto police officer told the Toronto Sun.

The stunning revelation about the current leader of the New Democratic Party comes days before the federal election at a time when his popularity is soaring.

When the policeman and his partner walked into a second-floor room at the Toronto massage parlour, they saw an attractive 5-foot-10 Asian woman who was in her mid-20s and the married, then-Metro councillor, lying on his back in bed.

Layton was cautioned by police and released without being charged.

Olivia Chow, Layton's wife, denied her husband had done anything wrong in an e-mail statement late Friday night.

"Sixteen years ago, my husband went for a massage at a massage clinic that is registered with the City of Toronto," Chow wrote. "He exercises regularly; he was and remains in great shape; and he needed a massage.


"I knew about this appointment, as I always do."

In a letter from his lawyer, Layton recalls "being advised by police at the time that he did nothing wrong."

What police say happened on Jan. 9, 1996, was recorded in the former cop's notebook, which was reviewed and photocopied by the Toronto Sun.

The former Asian crime unit officer, who requested anonymity, details a prior police raid on the "premise currently ID as a bawdy house" looking for underage Asian hookers and a subsequent follow-up visit to the two-storey brick storefront on Jan. 9.

At first the policemen didn't realize they were interviewing one of the best-known Toronto politicians who was married to Chow, also a Metro councillor and now the incumbent NDP MP for Trinity-Spadina.

The officer's notebook indicates he asked the suspected john: "Did you receive any sexual services?"

He replied: "No sir, I was just getting a shiatsu."

The cop: "Why did you have all your clothes off?"

The suspected john: No answer.

The cop: "Are you aware that there were sex acts being done here?"

The suspected john: "No sir."

The woman, who was from mainland China, denied masturbating the suspected john but when the question was repeated became nervous and replied, "I don't know I only come to work today," the cop's notes show.

His notes also claim he saw the "female dump wet Kleenex into garbage."

In the interview with the Sun, the officer said: "I asked him for his wallet and I looked at his name and I looked at the last name and it looked familiar. He's registered as 'John' and I thought he's a 'john.'"

Layton's Christian name is John.

"I explained to him this was a bawdy house and then I asked him the silliest question, 'Are you any relation to the councillor, Jack Layton?' and ... he had that defeated look on his face and he said, 'We are one in the same,'" the ex-cop said.

The former officer said Layton, seemed quiet and mellow and denied that he knew it was a suspected bawdy house.

The police had to decide what to do with the controversial councillor.

"To have arrested him and charged him would have served our egos a lot more. Layton was a thorn in the side of the police, siding with the anti-poverty movement in '96 or '97 ... Jack was anti-police," the ex-cop said.

"We looked at it and thought do we take advantage of this, or do we look at this like (he's) any other person, put it away and we hope this thing dies a slow death."

In the end, they came to the conclusion they shouldn't charge him.

"If we had barged in and he was engaged in a sex act and we had plainly saw it, then it would have been a different story."

The officers said police filled out a suspect investigation card that recorded his name, address, date of birth -- July 18, 1950 -- height and weight.

That information would be filed away by a civilian administrator for crime analysts to use in tracking criminals with particular attributes.

The former cop is surprised it took so long for the incident to become public.

"This stuff was never leaked out back then. The professionalism was outstanding. I thought this would have come out. This thing within the circle was so well known."

The policemen warned the councillor about the dangers of hanging out in suspected bawdy houses that could be run by Asian triads.

"I remembered lecturing him on a lot of these triads, they'd videotape the customers and extort them afterwards. Jack went pale. I said to him you have to understand it's quite possible," he says.

"He came on a bicycle. I escorted him down and he went away on his bike."

[NAB]

Well, there goes the game. The Liberals will be the biggest beneficiary of that piece of "news". And when you know who will benefit most from it, you usually have good reason to suspect who is behind the revelation.

Nab

[daria]

Really? Sun Media is actually a right-wing news organization. I'm betting the unnamed source's political affiliations are more likely to be conservative in nature.

[Urbane]

Given that Jack had a hernia operation in a private clinic and didn't even notice it was private it's quite possible he didn't realize that the massage parlour he was in had illicit activities happening. Seriously, I think Jack Layton should be judged on his reckless policies and not on something that might or might not have happened sixteen years ago.

[NAB]

Really? Sun Media is actually a right-wing news organization. I'm betting the unnamed source's political affiliations are more likely to be conservative in nature.

So daria, out of curiousity how do you draw a link between the politics of the media organization that ran with the news, and the politics of the individual who provided it to them? I tend, as I said, to look at who benefits. It is after all Toronto, essentially the nucleus of Liberal and NDP fortunes in this election. And they are the two parties who are struggling against each other for supremacy there.

Nab

[daria]

Really? Sun Media is actually a right-wing news organization. I'm betting the unnamed source's political affiliations are more likely to be conservative in nature.

So daria, out of curiousity how do you draw a link between the politics of the media organization that ran with the news, and the politics of the individual who provided it to them? I tend, as I said, to look at who benefits. It is after all Toronto, essentially the nucleus of Liberal and NDP fortunes in this election. And they are the two parties who are struggling against each other for supremacy there.

Nab

Are you kidding me?! If a Liberal supporter were going to leak this information, would he not be better served by going to the CBC?

[NAB]

Really? Sun Media is actually a right-wing news organization. I'm betting the unnamed source's political affiliations are more likely to be conservative in nature.

So daria, out of curiousity how do you draw a link between the politics of the media organization that ran with the news, and the politics of the individual who provided it to them? I tend, as I said, to look at who benefits. It is after all Toronto, essentially the nucleus of Liberal and NDP fortunes in this election. And they are the two parties who are struggling against each other for supremacy there.

Nab

Are you kidding me?! If a Liberal supporter were going to leak this information, would he not be better served by going to the CBC?

Doubt it. The CBC, with all it's left wing bias, probably would not have reported it at all. And personally, I don't consider the item particularly newsworthy either, just a cheap rag attempt at last minute sensationalism with a political motive. But that's what Canadian politics have sunk to.

Nab

[oneh2obabe]

Given that Jack had a hernia operation in a private clinic and didn't even notice it was private it's quite possible he didn't realize that the massage parlour he was in had illicit activities happening. Seriously, I think Jack Layton should be judged on his reckless policies and not on something that might or might not have happened sixteen years ago.

Yes, the Shouldice Clinic is owned by The Shouldice Hospital Ltd. which is governed by the founders son, Dr. Byrnes Shouldice, and daughter, Mrs. W.H. Urquhart.

Technically, it's a 2-tier clinic ... private for those who want to pay, public for those who have a provincial health plan or private insurance.

Citizens of Ontario can use the walk-in clinic or get a referral from their family doctor and yes, OHIP pays for the surgery. But if you live elsewhere in Canada you fill in the online medical questionnaire and go from there. You don't have to shell out big bucks for surgery ... the province in which you reside (except PEI) will pay a pro-rated portion of the expenses. If you have private insurance, Shouldice will have the paperwork ready for you to submit for payment if they don't submit it direct. Citizens of other countries pay upfront and get the paperwork to submit to their health plans.

As for Jack not knowing it was private, why in hell would he when his doctor referred him to the clinic and told him OHIP would cover the cost? Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

Don't see any posters going on and on about Harper's secret media centre building.

OTTAWA–The Prime Minister's Office, which has long had a rocky relationship with the national media, has been working on a secret project to build a new, government-controlled briefing room at the cost of $2 million, documents obtained by the Star show.

Long kept under wraps, the plan – codenamed the Shoe Store Project – is in the works by the Privy Council Office and the PMO to establish a new government-controlled media briefing centre near Langevin Block.

The yellow-brown building that now houses Stephen Harper and his senior staff would supplant the current National Press Theatre, just a block away.

full story
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/arti ... 72dcab1f,0

Ain't politics grand? harpie can do no wrong while all others are black sheep. Amazing people's heads aren't spinning.

[Fritzthecat]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011/04/29/18085936.html TORONTO - Jack Layton was found laying naked on a bed by Toronto Police at a suspected Chinatown bawdy house in 1996, a retired Toronto police officer told the Toronto Sun.

The stunning revelation about the current leader of the New Democratic Party comes days before the federal election at a time when his popularity is soaring.

When the policeman and his partner walked into a second-floor room at the Toronto massage parlour, they saw an attractive 5-foot-10 Asian woman who was in her mid-20s and the married, then-Metro councillor, lying on his back in bed.

Layton was cautioned by police and released without being charged.

Olivia Chow, Layton's wife, denied her husband had done anything wrong in an e-mail statement late Friday night.

"Sixteen years ago, my husband went for a massage at a massage clinic that is registered with the City of Toronto," Chow wrote. "He exercises regularly; he was and remains in great shape; and he needed a massage.


"I knew about this appointment, as I always do."

In a letter from his lawyer, Layton recalls "being advised by police at the time that he did nothing wrong."

What police say happened on Jan. 9, 1996, was recorded in the former cop's notebook, which was reviewed and photocopied by the Toronto Sun.

The former Asian crime unit officer, who requested anonymity, details a prior police raid on the "premise currently ID as a bawdy house" looking for underage Asian hookers and a subsequent follow-up visit to the two-storey brick storefront on Jan. 9.

At first the policemen didn't realize they were interviewing one of the best-known Toronto politicians who was married to Chow, also a Metro councillor and now the incumbent NDP MP for Trinity-Spadina.

The officer's notebook indicates he asked the suspected john: "Did you receive any sexual services?"

He replied: "No sir, I was just getting a shiatsu."

The cop: "Why did you have all your clothes off?"

The suspected john: No answer.

The cop: "Are you aware that there were sex acts being done here?"

The suspected john: "No sir."

The woman, who was from mainland China, denied masturbating the suspected john but when the question was repeated became nervous and replied, "I don't know I only come to work today," the cop's notes show.

His notes also claim he saw the "female dump wet Kleenex into garbage."

In the interview with the Sun, the officer said: "I asked him for his wallet and I looked at his name and I looked at the last name and it looked familiar. He's registered as 'John' and I thought he's a 'john.'"

Layton's Christian name is John.

"I explained to him this was a bawdy house and then I asked him the silliest question, 'Are you any relation to the councillor, Jack Layton?' and ... he had that defeated look on his face and he said, 'We are one in the same,'" the ex-cop said.

The former officer said Layton, seemed quiet and mellow and denied that he knew it was a suspected bawdy house.

The police had to decide what to do with the controversial councillor.

"To have arrested him and charged him would have served our egos a lot more. Layton was a thorn in the side of the police, siding with the anti-poverty movement in '96 or '97 ... Jack was anti-police," the ex-cop said.

"We looked at it and thought do we take advantage of this, or do we look at this like (he's) any other person, put it away and we hope this thing dies a slow death."

In the end, they came to the conclusion they shouldn't charge him.

"If we had barged in and he was engaged in a sex act and we had plainly saw it, then it would have been a different story."

The officers said police filled out a suspect investigation card that recorded his name, address, date of birth -- July 18, 1950 -- height and weight.

That information would be filed away by a civilian administrator for crime analysts to use in tracking criminals with particular attributes.

The former cop is surprised it took so long for the incident to become public.

"This stuff was never leaked out back then. The professionalism was outstanding. I thought this would have come out. This thing within the circle was so well known."

The policemen warned the councillor about the dangers of hanging out in suspected bawdy houses that could be run by Asian triads.

"I remembered lecturing him on a lot of these triads, they'd videotape the customers and extort them afterwards. Jack went pale. I said to him you have to understand it's quite possible," he says.

"He came on a bicycle. I escorted him down and he went away on his bike."

Wow, that is what you call desperation.
What will the right wing fear mongering machine think of next?
What evil crime against humanity did Jack do?
Harper as we all know IS Jesus.
I mean really, why campaign with your platform when you can try and bamboozle the naive with great, grand confabulations that you don't have to back up?

[Urbane]

As for Jack not knowing it was private, why in hell would he when his doctor referred him to the clinic and told him OHIP would cover the cost? Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

I give Dr. Jack Layton a bit more credit for smarts than you do. However, If you want to believe he really thought he was being treated at a purely public facility then go for it. I doubt that he was that naive about the world famous Shouldice Clinic however.