Iggy on and off health care user fees

Oh Iggy, will you ever learn...

And, leaving aside explicit measures in this week's Quebec budget, doesn't Charest's startling proposal to charge patients $25 per doctor's visit, however hypothetical, at least merit an expression of mild disagreement?

Apparently not. "In our opinion," Ignatieff said, "what matters is maintaining universality of access to the system. We believe, and it's a question of details, that Quebec's propositions conform to the Canada Health Act."   How's that for a stirring call to arms?

 Source

and then after a Liberal caucus meeting to the media...

“I am saying no user fees,” he said. “I want to make it very clear that our party and I personally am a passionate defender of the Canada Health Act and we understand that provinces are facing substantial challenges facing the financing of their health care systems. 

Source

In summary... "Health care user fees, but not necessarily health care user fees."

Quebelection 2008: And they're off!

It appears that Quebeckers will head to the polls on December 8th. Last week, two ADQ MNAs crossed the floor to the Liberals.

With that and other things there are some preliminary questions:

1. Will Mario Dumont's ADQ Party continue with the momentum from last election or has Liberal Premier Jean Charest staved it off with good management and the trust of Quebeckers?

• My bets are with Jean Charest. Conservatives federally didn't make a breakthrough and although there is a loose affiliation between Harper's Conservatives and Dumont's ADQ, voters may equate the two. Charest is the middle ground.

2. With the Bloc Quebecois continuing to have 49 seats in the House of Commons federally, will this translate into voters flocking to the Parti Quebecois provincially?

• No. A lot of the Bloc voters weren't hard core separatists like the PQ are.

3. What will be the defining issue this election?

• It's the economy, stupid!

Overall, unlike 10 years ago, I'm hearing a lot of great things about Quebec, Montreal in particular. With the 400 year anniversary of Quebec City, Quebec pride is at an all time high. But it doesn't seem to be equated with sovereignty/separatism other than seeing that the rest of Canada does, in fact, see them as a special nation within our dominion.

So we'll see which party gets glued to that Quebec pride on December 8th. I predict a stronger Charest Liberal minority.

Mind your ADQs -- The Quebec budget '07

You know, I don't understand Mario Dumont, leader of the Quebec opposition and the Action Democratique du Quebec (ADQ).

During the recent Quebec election, Premier Jean Charest promised that the $700 million federal transfer funds to Quebec will go to tax cuts. Many have said that the election was timed in conjuction with such an announcement. This is likely.

I thought the ADQ party was about tax cuts, deregulation, and autonomy? I was excited that they did so well, but now it appears they're threatening to not support the latest budget. Why not support these measures? I don't get it.

Tax reductions in Quebec something I think they badly need to reinvigorate their economy. Instead, they remain the highest taxed group in Canada, and they continue to fall into debt.

Jean Charest is on the right track here. Time and time again history has shown that when governments cut taxes, they eventually GAIN tax revenue as the money goes through the economy to provide raises, better jobs and more of them, and thus a better tax base. They don't "blow a hole" in the budget as many socialists like to squawk. Government spending can be said to be that "hole" and it's no wonder why Quebec is still a have-not province despite a good Canadian economy.

Anyway, back to Mario Dumont. His party wants more autonomy for Quebec. Well if that's true then why is he supporting the use of money from the FEDERAL government, earned by people from Alberta and Ontario, to pay for things instead of giving it back to the people, you know, the QUEBEC people who earned it in the first place?

You know with the federal government not offering broad-based income tax reductions in its last two budgets, the Alberta government not doing the same thing either in its recent budget, and supposed conservative opposition parties voting against tax cuts, it kind of makes you wonder if there are any real libertarian-conservative parties remaining in Canada... except for Jean Charest's Quebec Liberals?

*sigh*

Duceppe Duped

Ever jump into a pool of water, thinking that you'll be able to swim, but then realize that it's just way too cold, and so you get out right away?

I guess my last post prediction about Gilles Duceppe was almost true, well, for 24 hours that is. It's obvious that he bowed out so quickly because he knew he wasn't going to win.

I am amazed that this veteran politician was duped into going for the PQ leadership. I guess like me, little did he know that Pauline Marois had already been rallying support -- and according to a poll, twice as much support (42%). So now, not only did he get shutout at the Parti, but will he be Bloc'ed and his caucus not take him back as leader after abandoning them?

Keep in mind that his short-lived jump to the PQ also announces by default that he longer wishes to be the MP for his riding. What will his supporters there think?

Who was scheming behind the scenes to ensure that he did in fact take the plunge, making him think the water was warm? Was it Marois? She certainly must have masterminded the quick departure of Andre Boisclair. With the door open to the PQ leadership, to not show her cards, was a brilliant strategy. The timing of the poll, of course, was everything here. Were there strings pulled?

With political smarts like this, Mario Dumont and Jean Charest may be even more worried.

Although the Bloc is due for a leadership race, is it really necessary for a separatist protest party that would never form government? The smart move for the Bloc would be to take Gilles Duceppe back and not have two separatist leadership races going on. That said, is Duceppe damaged goods now? Is his once strong credibility in the House of Commons now gone?

One thing is certain, his MP pension will always be there for him.